Thing One and Thing Two
by Loyal Eskamoe
Summary: Veronica and Wallace were walking down the streets of L.A. It was night, so that was their first mistake.
1. Chapter 1

Veronica Mars and Angel belong to Rob Thomas and Joss Whedon respectively. Not me.

-

Veronica and Wallace were walking down the streets of LA. It was night, so that was their first mistake. Their second was being too loud.

"I'm telling you Veronica, we're lost!"

"And I'm telling you we're not." Veronica replied in a rather waspish sorta way.

Wallace raised his eyebrow's and threw on a highly offended look.

"Oh stop it," said Veronica after seeing his face, "I'm the one who should be offended. You apparently think I forgot how to read a map."

Wallace grinned. "My fault. You're THE Veronica Mars. All right then, oh great detective, maybe you can tell me a couple of things. Like say ... where we are, and how we got here?"

Not missing a beat Veronica replied. "LA, and if you don't know how we got here, then you just didn't pay any attention in sex ed."

"Oh I did!" Wallace said with certainty, "I paid attention every time Lena Johnson would come to class in one of her painted on t-shirts. I was studying both her birds and her bees."

Now it was Veronica's turn to look offended. "Why Wallace!" she said in a fake southern accent. "When we decided to run off together, you swore to me you would be faithful! My Pa was right about you."

Wallace just rolled his eyes at her. "You figured out where we are yet? My feet are starting to hurt."

"I thought you were a big time baller, so how can your feet hurt from just a little walking?" Veronica asked, but truth be told (just not to Wallace) her feet were hurting too. Plus she was starting to get a little worried. She really did know how to read a map, but for some reason the map wasn't making any sense to her. Wallace, of course, wasted no time in pointing out that she didn't answer his question. Just when Veronica was going to reply, a badly beaten man stumbled out of an ally and collapsed in front of them.

-

He was bald, black, and in his early to mid 20's. He looked to be about six feet tall and roughly 200 pounds. Of course, it was hard to tell with him laying on the ground like that. Wallace went to help him up, but before he could, the man staggered to his feet. Startled, Wallace backed off. Now that the guy was standing, Veronica was able to get a good look at him. He was indeed bald and her earlier estimates looked about right, but what she didn't notice before was the black patch over his right eye. That, and the fact he was holding a great big ax.

Scary Ax Man took one look at the suddenly very nervous duo and told them to run. When they didn't move, he screamed it. Wallace jumped in front of Veronica while she pulled out her trusty taser.

"My dad knows where we are." She told him with only a little of the fear she was feeling in her voice, "If we don't show, he'll come for us!"

Before Scary Ax Man could say anything, he was tackled from out of nowhere, and slammed into the ground hard by someone who looked like he was a hundred pounds soaking wet. Their unknown rescuer looked them over, looked back down at Scary Ax Man, and called back into the ally.

"I told you I heard someone! Dude, you owe me a coke."

Out of the shadows, another figure emerged, this one looking like he was barely old enough for high school. "Whatever man, I don't owe you anything. You almost let the white hat get away!" The skinny kid raised his eyebrows and threw on a highly offended look. Rolling his eyes, the high schooler replied, "Dude! The spell was working! There was abso-friggin-lutly no reason he should have got away from us like that! Unless of course you stop chanting and start looking for food!" Skinny Kid tried to defend himself, but Schoolboy just shot him down. "We don't get paid unless we get the info that Morgan wants. The info that this guy," he pointed at the now unconscious man "has stuck in his enhanced brain! We don't have any real fighting skills. This dude could totally take us in a fair fight! So, in the middle of our 'interrogation," he paused making air quotes "you stop, just because you can hear some dumb happy meals walking down the street!"

Confused and kinda scared, Wallace and Veronica started to leave. But before they got even a single step, Schoolboy was suddenly in front of them blocking their escape. "Who are you." he demanded cooly.

Wallace again stepped in front of Veronica. "Back off man. You don't want any of this." Veronica helpfully set off her taser as if to make his point.

Skinny Kid started to laugh. "Don't worry pal, we won't rape her or anything."

"Yeah," chimed in Schoolboy,"she'll probably be dead long before we put it to her."

"Oh God." Veronica said, horror filling her eyes.

Wallace's response was a little less intimidated. He threw a punch. Incredibly, Schoolboy caught it, smiled, and then broke it. All in one clean motion.

"Hell yes!!" cried Skinny Kid. "That's the way to be a bad ass dude!"

Still smiling, Schoolboy tossed Wallace aside like doll, and made his way toward Veronica. Weakly she tried to get him with the taser but she just got slapped for her effort. On the ground now, she started screaming for help. Which naturally made her two attackers laugh harder.

"Dude she screams like a girl." Skinny Kid noted with glee.

Schoolboy apologized to Veronica while mounting her. "Sorry about that comment, Pete's never been any good at speaking."

Pete, picking up a dazed and groggy Wallace, said in a hurt tone "Come on Joe. That's not fair. You know it's the witty banter that I always have trouble with."

"Witty banter requires speaking." Joe said in a "duh" voice.

Pete just shrugged in response. Wallace became more alert and started to struggle, but stopped when Pete squeezed his broken arm. "Now listen dude." Pete whispered into Wallace's ear loudly enough for Veronica to hear. "We , Joe and I, are going to kill you and your girlfriend. We are going to drain you both dry. But because you tried to hit my buddy, we're going to make you watch us do her first."

With that horrifying statement Pete and Joe's faces changed. Later, Veronica wouldn't be able to put into words what she felt seeing something like that. One minute they looked normal, if homicidal and crazy, the next they were monsters. Their foreheads got bumpy. Their teeth grew fangs. But the worst, at least in Veronica's opinion, was the eyes. Those eyes that turned into a horrible yellow. It didn't matter to them that she was going to be a freshman in college, or that she was in LA on vacation, or that her dad was going to be lost without her. Those eyes just stared at her coldly like she was nothing more than some thing that was put there for their pleasure. Veronica knew in that moment when she looked into those terrible, pitiless orbs, she was going to die. Badly.

-

Of course, she didn't. Just as Joe was pulling her head aside and leaning down, he stopped. In his chest was a piece of wood. Then he exploded into what looked like dust.

Out of nowhere (or maybe the sky) jumped down two guys. Both dressed in black. Both in long leather coats. One had platinum blonde slicked back hair. The other had hair gelled to the max, causing it to stick up artfully.

"Spike." ordered Gel Head, "Take care of Gunn while I check on these kids."

Veronica was startled to see Wallace on the ground. Apparently Pete exploded too.

"Here!" Spike said indigently "Why do I gotta check on Charlie Boy and you get to chat up the pretty blonde?"

And if Veronica wasn't in the worst state of shock in her life she might have been flattered. As it was, she just giggled deliriously.

"Spike! Just do it!" The 'or I make you very dead' was left unsaid.

Surprised at the tone, Spike did what he was told. "Come on Charlie, lets get you fixed up some yeah?"

While Spike tended to Charlie, Hair gel checked on Wallace, pulled out a cell phone and called 911. Satisfied the kid wasn't in immediate danger, he went over to Veronica. She had yet to stand up. Crouching besides her, he asked in a very gentle voice. "Are you hurt?"

Veronica stuttered a response "Nuh, no. I don't think so."

"Good. I'm glad. My names Angel." he said in that same soothing way.

Again, Veronica kind of laughs. "An angel huh? Who knew they used so much gel in their hair?" Angel glanced up at his hair embarrassedly, and Spike laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Veronica looked over his shoulder and saw Wallace leaning against a wall. "How is he?" She asked worriedly .

"Your friend's right arm is badly broken, and he seems to be in a state of mild shock. Probably a concussion, but he'll be fine. Help is on the way." Angel started to get up,

"Don't leave! Please!" Shrieked Veronica, grabbing at Angels arm.

"We won't. Not until the ambulances gets here." He reassured, taking her hands into his own.

Meanwhile, Spike, finished with Charlie and tended to Wallace, muttering the whole time. "I'm Angel. I just saved your life you pretty thing. Oh Angel! How can I repay you! Oh! I know just the way! Take me! Take me you sexy man! I'm sorry. I can't because I'm dating a werewolf and if I take any nookie on the side she'll eat me. Wanker." Wallace just looked at Spike as though he'd never heard anything so ridiculous. To be fair, he probably hadn't. After the splint was completed, Spike went back to Charlie. He looked worried, like he just noticed something wrong. Checking him over again, Spike strode up to Angel, who was still holding Veronica's hand, and cleared his throat. "As much as I hate to burst this touching scene of nobility" and he did look kinda, sorta maybe a little regretful "Chuck's in bad shape. Worse than I thought initially. If we don't get him to a doctor soon, he won't be hitting things with his neat hubcap ax anymore."

Angel just smirked "Spike, you did hear me say the ambulances were on the way right? Or were you too busy crying?"

Spike glared back. "Yeah. I heard, but we can get him there faster. Faster would be better. Trust me."

Angel turned to Spike. "He's that bad?" Spike just nodded.

"It's all right. I'm all right. Go help your friend." Veronica said gathering herself. She can honestly say she was in situations like this before. Definitely not as bad, but being stuck in a burning fridge while your dad tries to save your life really helps to prepare you

for life's little adventures. Pulling her hands out of Angel's, she stood up. A little embarrassed at her outburst. Angel didn't look too convinced, but she gave him a shaky smile and nodded her head in answer to his unasked question.

"Right then!" said Spike loudly, eliciting a startled yelp from Veronica and a glare from Angel "Off we go. It's been a pleasure rescuing you pet. Oh, and I wasn't crying, I was giving an accurate and insightful commentary on Hair Gel over here." Spike waved a jaunty salute and carried Charlie off.

Angel directed one last look at Veronica and Wallace, then followed.

Once they were out of sight, Veronica let out a quite sob and sat next to her friend. "God damn it Wallace. Why do you have to be so brave?"

Wallace looked at her, humor shining through pain filled and hazy eyes. "You know why V. The hero always gets the girls."

Veronica laughed, a teary one, but with none of the hysteria of before, and leaned on Wallace's good arm as the sirens in the distance got closer.


	2. Chapter 2

When Wallace woke up, it was to the sound of beeping and muttering. The former was coming from a heart monitor. The later was coming from Veronica. She was staring at her laptop with her 'I'm so not going to stop until I pass out or until my dad makes me look'. Wallace used this rare unguarded moment to make sure she wasn't hurt. Frowning slightly at the livid bruise on her face, but otherwise satisfied she was all right, he decided make his presence known. Putting on his best Veronica Mars impression, complete with head tilt, he asked "Watcha doing?"

Giving a nervous little start at the sound of his voice, Veronica looked up. "Hey Wallace." she said with a smile. Then she went right back to work.

"Did I miss something?" asked Wallace, looking confused. "Shouldn't you be weeping over my broken body?"

Not looking up this time Veronica responded with a resounding "No. But I did sign your cast. Look."

Wallace did, and to his horror, it read: "To my hero" with hearts and puppies all around it. Dumbfounded, Wallace could only stare. "That, by far, is the most girly thing I have EVER seen. Is that lavender?"

"Sorry, but they were all out of pink." Veronica informed him regretfully. For now, Wallace decided to pretend it didn't exist. It was just easier that way. After shaking his head, he realized some things. He REALLY needed to not shake his head any more, because it hurt. And Veronica was, again, focused on her laptop.

"What are you working on anyway? Seeing as you ain't got no love for a brothah."

Arching an eyebrow, Veronica said factually "I got plenty of love. Hearts and puppies remember? As for your question, I'm looking for our mysterious rescuers."

Looking interested, Wallace sat up. "Find anything?"

"Yep"

"Really? What?" he asked very interested now.

Veronica finally stopped working and looked at her best friend. "How much do you remember from last night?"

"You mean, other than the doctors telling me that my arm is so messed up I won't be able to play ball this year? If ever." Looking horribly guilty Veronica started to apologize. "Not your fault so don't even start. After what they said? I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Now it was Wallace's turn to look guilty. "If it even mattered what I did."

"Of course it mattered."

Wallace snorted in disbelief "Because we aren't in a hospital, and you don't have the biggest bruise I have ever seen on a female's face that wasn't on an episode of CSI." Disgusted with himself, he continued "I got beat and tossed aside like a baby! So don't tell me it mattered Veronica."

Tearing up a little, Veronica said simply "It mattered to me."

Wallace didn't really know how to respond to that, so he just changed the subject "Look. Could you just tell me what you found? Leave the rest of it alone, at least until later?" Nodding her head, Veronica agreed, and went back to her original question. Thinking about it, he told her most of the night after the unfortunate arm breaking was kinda blurry. "But I do remember the blonde dude talking about how the other dude was going to be eaten by his girlfriend if that helps."

Veronica opened her mouth to comment, but thought better of it. "And moving right along, I just happen to know their names. Blondie is Spike, the other one is named" she paused, smiling a little "Angel."

"Hold up! What was that?" Veronica gave him a confused look. "That little pause when you said 'Angel'." Wallace's eyes widened in realization. "You have a crush!" He proclaimed with no small amount of glee.

"I do not have a crush!" Denied Veronica. "In case you didn't notice I already have a boyfriend."

Looking smug, Wallace went on "Yeah you do. But he's not here is he? Veronica Mars: Pimp Momma! Watch out LA!"

"Are you insinuating that I may be of a promiscuous nature?" Veronica asked in a slightly dangerous tone.

A tone which Wallace completely ignored. "I would've gone with something a little classier like ho bag, but o.k."

Glaring a glare that promised sweet and salient revenge, Veronica continued her narrative. "I googled their names but found, like, a billion different websites. Almost all of it greeting cards and hardware stores. Then I remembered the ax guy's name. Charles Gunn." Wallace interrupted to ask when she found that out. "After Spike and Angel showed up. Angel called him 'Gunn' and Spike Called him 'Charlie boy'. So I did a little cross referencing and came up with this." She stopped to show him her screen.

"Wolfram and Hart." read Wallace. "The lawyers?"

"That's them." Veronica confirmed, looking pleased with herself. "And take a look at who's on the top of the chain."

"Angel. HE'S a lawyer?" asked Wallace looking doubtful.

Shrugging, Veronica said she didn't know. "The site doesn't mention Spike at all, but it does go on to list the various department heads. Our Mr. Gunn was head head of security. According to the site, Wolfram and Hart have their own personal swat team."

Now Wallace was really confused. "What does a law firm need with security like that? And why put a lawyer in charge of it?"

Before Veronica could respond, the nurse came in to check on Wallace. "Oh good! You're awake!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "How are you feeling?" and before Wallace could say anything she stuck a thermometer in his mouth and told him not to talk for five minutes. Moving to his cast, she kept a none stop stream of information flowing from her mouth, what kind of medication Wallace was on, how often he should take them, how adorable the hearts and puppies looked, and what not to take the meds with. Finally stopping to breathe, she told Wallace to cheer up. "I'm sure you'll be back on the football fields in no time sweetie!" And with one final pinch to the cheek and a wink, she was gone.

"She forgot the thermometer." noted Veronica.

-

After the nurse left the room, she went into the employee lounge where she met up with Angel and Spike.

"How did it go?" Angel asked.

When the nurse replied, it was with none of the cheerfulness or warmth that she displayed earlier. "Everything proceeded according to your plan."

"Great!" Spike said suddenly, getting right in her face. "Now you can take off that ridiculous outfit and go back to not looking like my dead friend!"

Eye's narrowing, the nurse pushed Spike out of her personal space. "Careful vampire. I have defeated more for less."

"Spike!" shouted Angel, getting between them "You knew the plan, that Illyria had to look like Fred in order to leave the bug!"

"I know! It's just" trailing off, Spike sighed. "I can't stand seeing her like that. Like she's still Fred and not the thing that killed her."

"Why does my assuming the Burkle persona disturb you now, when before it didn't?" Illyria questioned.

Chuckling darkly, Spike told her the reason. "I didn't actually see you like this before now did I? It's quite different in the flesh. So to speak."

"Get over it!" Angel told Spike harshly. "They know what you and I look like. We needed to find someone they wouldn't recognize."

"What about your bitch? They don't know who SHE is!"

"First off all," Angel said, punching Spike in the face "You don't call her that. Got it? Secondly, Nina wouldn't be able to pull something like this off. She's a terrible actress and an even worse liar. That's why her family knows she's a werewolf."

"Whatever." Spike said. Then, rubbing his now sore jaw, he sat down at the table to sulk.

Looking at the unhappy vampire, Illyria frowned. "I do not know why you tolerate such behavior from your underlings Angel."

Snorting, Angel said he didn't know either.

-

"You know, sometimes a thermometer is just a thermometer." Wallace said as Veronica stared intently at said object. "I mean, you do realize that was just in my mouth for like, ten minutes right?" Ignoring the comment, Veronica put the thermometer down and started muttering to herself again. "Really Veronica, how paranoid are you?" Wallace asked, getting a little frustrated with her. After all, he was the one who was hurt. Not that he would belittle what she went through, but a little attention would be nice. "Not everybody is out to get you. So why don't you just put the thing down, and we can get back to our conversation."

Turning to Wallace, Veronica pinned him with a look. "How many nurses do you know that take your temperature, but forget to look at the results?"

He gave her a one arm shrug. "Did you see her? She didn't even know I play basketball. She was flakier than my Great Aunt Sally after she gets into the cooking sherry. "

Veronica rolled her eyes. "You don't have a Great Aunt Sally. But that's not the point."

"O.k. So what is?" Wallace asked.

"The point, my dear Wallace, is that not ten minutes before you woke up, a different nurse was in here doing nurse type things."

"So?" Wallace asked, still not getting it.

"So. The woman who was just here wasn't a real nurse." Veronica stated with some triumph.

Laughing Wallace said "THAT has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard a smart person say!" At that, Veronica got up from her seat and headed to the door. A curious mixture of a pout and a glare on her pretty face. "Hey wait!" Wallace called to her. "I'm sorry don't go."

Veronica turned to face him, now wearing a smirk. "Awww." She teased. "Is the widdle Wallace scared he hurt my feelings? Well you can relax ex-lax. I'm just going to the nurses station to prove myself right."

"Be my guest." he responded, wincing a little. "And when you do find that nurse, tell her to send her flaky ass back in here. My meds are starting to wear off."


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't get it." said Spike. "It's a bug right? So how come we can't hear them?" Spike, Angel, and Illyria were waiting in the nurses break room for the information that they would receive from the thermometer Illyria left with Veronica and Wallace.

Rubbing his forehead, Angel turned to the younger vampire. "It's not that kind of bug." Off Spike's confused look, Angel continued. "It reads magical auras. Did you even pay attention at the briefing?"

"He did not." Illyria piped in helpfully from her position at the window. Illyria was still in the Burkle persona, and still in nurses scrubs.

"Yeah, thanks for that Blue." He threw back at her. Looking to Angel, Spike asked what the bug actually did.

Angel smirked, "I'll use small words."

"Like you know any big ones." Spike shot back.

Ignoring the comment Angel went on. "Basically, it should tell us why the spell used on Gunn also effected the kids." Off of Spikes blank look, Angel sighed. "You don't know what I'm talking about do you?"

"Of course I do!" Spike replied, indignant. "I just don't know all the particulars of the spell those little minions used is all."

Rubbing his forehead again, Angel sighed. Again. "You really need to start paying attention at the briefings if you want to help Spike."

Spike saluted. "Scouts honor, I will. Now just tell me what the bloody hell is going on."

"The mewling offspring of humans where effected by the meager spell casting of feckless half-breeds." Illyria informed him, still standing in front of her window.

"I got that much already, thanks." Spike continued. " I want to know what spell those ninnies used."

Angel opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word in, Illyria interrupted. "The half-breeds used a spell to immobilize, and hide Charles through confusion and disorientation. It was an underhanded attempt at defeating one who would be their better. It is of no surprise to me that Charles was able to resist long enough for you to track him."

Spike nodded his head. "It was a bit of a bitch trying to find him. That was the spell?"

"It was." Angel confirmed. "The spell they used was called, in english, 'Champions Bane'. It's primary use is the capture and interrogation of some-one considered to be a champion. It attacks the target's equilibrium, causing delirium, nausea, and other fun side effects designed to make you helpless. The spell also hides the target from other 'champions'. Making it difficult to track him." Angel drew a deep breath. "It was a lucky break for Gunn when those kids interrupted the spell." Frowning, Spike wondered aloud where two little punks like that would've gotten such a powerful spell. "I don't know." Angel said. "That's one of the things we need to find out."

Spike had a couple more questions. "You said our little friends were being affected right?" Angel nodded. "Why? Were they looking for Gunn?"

Angel shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't know why they were affected. That's why I got the thermometer."

"So maybe the spell didn't effect them. Maybe they were just lost."

Again, Angel disagreed. "She had a map. The destination she circled was no where near the place of the attack. There was no reason for her to be near that ally."

"Maybe she just didn't know how to read it." Spike suggested.

Rolling his eyes, Angel told Spike why that wasn't a very likely scenario. "That's Veronica Mars in there. Her father is Keith Mars, Head of Mars Investigations." Spike, not getting it, just shrugged. Angel went on, incredulous at Spike's ignorance. "Neptune, California? Aaron Echolls? There was a book! Any of this ringing a bell in that slicked back blonde helmet of yours?"

"Oh! The actor!" exclaimed Spike, light-bulb finally going on. "He was the one who was arrested for killing that girl he was drilling! Shame that. Man made good movies. Still, what of it?" Apparently the light-bulb's on, but nobody was home.

"Mars Investigations was primarily responsible for getting the evidence against Echolls." Angel said, resisting the urge to throttle the younger vampire. "According to Mars's book, Veronica was instrumental in finding that evidence. So you tell me Spike." Angel paused for dramatic affect. "If a girl that can find enough evidence to release a man who confessed to a crime he didn't commit, and enough evidence to arrest one of the richest actors in town, why wouldn't she be able to read a map!" He finished, pleased with his deductive reasoning.

"The documents used by this city's feeble law enforcement stated the human progeny admitted to being lost." Illyria said, clearly unimpressed.

"Maybe she never bothered to learn." Spike replied innocently, knowing perfectly well what was coming. Spike was not disappointed.

Angel let out a "Gah!" of frustration, then sat in a dark corner and brooded.

-

Alone, Gunn waited. He was waiting for his ribs to heal. He was waiting for his eye to work again. But most of all, he was waiting for a reason. He'd been in a foul mood since his beating, and asked that no-one visit with him unless they had something to report. Gunn was happy to use his contacts to help Angel get the aura reading bug that he requested, but that was it. He didn't want them there. They weren't his friends. He would trust them with his life, but they weren't friends.

Wesley, Fred, Cordelia. Those were his friends. His family, after being outed from his gang. They were there for him.

Even Wesley, who betrayed everyone. In different ways. He betrayed Cordy by betraying Angel, he betrayed Fred when he didn't ask her for help, and he betrayed Gunn when he tried to put the moves on his girlfriend.

But that was in the past. He came back to the fold only to be betrayed in turn. Not by Angel and Cordelia, they forgave him surprisingly enough.

But by Fred, who died just when she realized she loved him. And by Gunn, who caused that death. Cordy died. Fred died. Wesley died.

One by one, the people he cared about the most were taken down. As smart as he is now, he always knew that casualties were to be expected in the war he was fighting. Alonna taught him that, so did Rondell, Sweeper, Mickey, Jack. The list could go on and on. He honestly didn't wish he could go back in time. To lead his gang again. Back to living on the streets fighting for his life every night. Now, he eats three square's a day, lives in an apartment, and fights crime with a couple of ensouled vampires. In the past four years he has done more good working with Angel, than he ever did on the streets. And that means something to him. It's important enough to him that he could work with, and trust, beings that he has every right to hate. And he did. Work with them that is. He didn't hate them. Hell, he even liked them, but they would never be his friends simply because they're demons.

The work wasn't the only thing keeping him going though. The knowledge that he was helping his friends did that too. He helped Wesley get a sense of humor that didn't involve making lame jokes only stuffy english people would get. And even they wouldn't even have found them funny. He liked to think that he had some small part in turning shy, sweet, and scared Fred into the ridiculously sexy, kinda shy, sweet chick who could use a flame thrower without batting an eyelash. Of course, surviving three years as a cow-slave showed she could have done it without him. But it would have been later, not sooner.

And then there was Cordelia. God what a woman! The first time Gunn met her, he more or less dismissed her as a flaky, conceited, selfish, prom queen. Well, she wasn't flaky, and she said she was never prom queen, she was definitely conceited, but she was only selfish to a point. When she reached that point, she would use her stubborn princess nature to make damn sure someone had your back. She was the type of person you liked being around, wanted to help, to do favors for. Anything so she would flash that 10,000 megawatt smile at you. It didn't hurt that she was smoking hot either.

But they were gone, and all that was left were the demons. Why should he fight the good fight? Yeah, the people need help, but they have Angel, Spike, and a thousand slayers running around for that. He'd make better use of his time helping Anne at her shelter. Maybe become her attorney. He could use his human contacts to help get some red tape off her back. Why shouldn't he stop fighting? He did help save the world a whole bunch of times. Maybe it was time to help make living in it better for the people living in it, before it was too late for him to do so. After all, he would be dead right now if those two kids hadn't distracted those punk ass vampires.

"Huh." he said to nobody, "I guess I owe them my life." And with that statement, Gunn found his reason. He would help Veronica and Wallace.


	4. Chapter 4

Veronica waited at the nurses station for someone to show up. Getting bored, she looked over the counter at the desk. Nothing but the usual desktop items. There were pens, paper, stuffed unicorns (awww!) a weird stick figure guy with swords, and Wallace's medical file? Score!

"Hello? Anybody home?" she called out.

After waiting a few seconds to see if anybody responded, Veronica moseyed around the counter to have a quick peek. 'After all', she thought to herself, 'it's not my fault that someone left this out. That's practically asking me to read it.' And read it she did. Comforted by the fact the doctors didn't sugarcoat the damage to Wallace's arm (she had been kinda worried) Veronica went to put the file back. Before she did, however, she glanced at the name of the file that was underneath Wallace's. 'Charles Boyleston. Charlie Boy maybe?' Curious, Veronica started reading through that file as well. 'These injuries match up to the one's that Charles Gunn looked like he had.' Hearing someone coming, Veronica quickly noted Charles' room number and put the file back down.

"What are you doing back here?" A male voice asked. Another nurse. Clearly not the one that came into Wallace's room.

"OhmyGod! I'm sooo sorry!" She blurted, putting on her best blonde voice. "Like, I was just waiting for someone to show up. But then, like, no-one did." After a few seconds, the nurse demanded to know why Veronica was looking at confidential files. Whoops. He saw her. Veronica thought quickly. "Oh. Are they really confidential?" The nurse nodded, annoyed that this stupid girl was touching his stuff. "Because I was just, like, taking a quick peek at my best friend's info." She started sniffling a little. "I wanted to see if he was really as hurt as the doctors said." Voice breaking, eyes watering, Veronica continued. "To see if he would play basketball again. Because if he can't, he'll lose his scholarship! He can't afford to pay for school! He's going to have to turn to crime! Oh my God! He's going to end up shot in some drive-buy!" Veronica fully let loose with the tears now.

Panicking at the sight, the nurse tried his best to comfort her, even though he really had no idea what to say. 'They really should have offered a course on how to deal with distraught family.' he thought distantly. "Well it's O.K. right? I mean, you saw his file. It was just like the doctor said right? So your friend's not going to get shot. Right?" He patted her shoulder awkwardly. "So it's O.K."

"You really think so?" Veronica asked in a small voice.

"Sure! Sure I do! Your friend is going to be just fine." He said nodding vigorously, clearly relieved the girl was calming down.

Veronica squealed happily, and then hugged the man. "Oh thank you so much!"

The nurse blushed. "No problem. I'm sure with your help, he'll make a complete recovery." he said sincerely.

Letting go, Veronica gave him a big beaming smile. Then turned and headed back to Wallace's room.

-

"So where have you been?" Wallace asked as soon as Veronica came back.

"At the nurses station."

"Yeah, about that." Wallace started.

"What about it?" Veronica asked like she knew what was coming and didn't want to know.

"Nurse Flakey came back for the thermometer." He told her.

Veronica's eyes bugged out. Yep. It was as bad as she thought. "And you gave it to her?"

Wallace was taken aback at Veronica's reaction. "Yeah I gave it to her. You said you couldn't find anything weird about it."

"Yet!" She said, frustrated. "I couldn't find anything yet!"

Wallace started to get frustrated himself. "Well did you want me to say to her? 'Sorry but you can't have this back. My friend thinks you put a bug in it."

Veronica let out an irritated groan, then plopped her ass back into her seat.

-

Illyria walked into Gunn's room, still in her disguise. "I have returned with the device."

"Thanks for letting us know. Wouldn't ever have guessed." Spike snarked, but with no real emotion.

Gunn looked at Spike with his good eye. "What's your problem?" he asked.

Spike started to say something, but Illyria beat him to it. "Unimportant. Where's Angel?" she asked, looking around. "We must discern why Champions Bane an effect on the human progeny."

Annoyed that Illyria interrupted him, Spike ignored her question and went back to looking out the window.

Rolling his eye at Spike, Gunn answered her question. "He took a call on his cell. Said it was important."

Illyria wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Why has he taken this call?" she demanded imperiously. "It is paramount we espy those who would attack us!"

"It was Buffy." Spike said, certainly not pouting, or brooding, or anything even remotely unmanly. He was contemplating things with a quiet sort of dignity. Yeah, that was it!

"Oh." Gunn said, surprised. Well, that would definitely explain why Spike was doing his best girl impression. "What does she want?"

Spike shrugged sullenly. "Don't know. He left the room remember?"

Illyria rolled her eyes in a shockingly human way, then started fondling one of the plants in Gunn's room. Looking at the fallen god king's display with something akin to disgust, Gunn asked her what the thermometer said.

Illyria took out the object in question, looked at it, and said "Room temperature." Then went back to her ivy.

Spike snorted.

Gunn tried again. "Let me rephrase the question. What does it say in regards to the kids?"

Spike turned away from his window. "Don't you know how to read it?" he asked Gunn. "After all, you got it."

Gunn shook his head. "I just knew where to find one. Doesn't mean I know how to use it."

"I too am uncertain how to use the device." Illyria stated.

Gunn sighed. "Which means we have to wait for Angel to come back."

"I can see how you made lawyer." Spike told him with obvious sarcasm.

"Shut the hell up Blondie Bear."

-

Angel paced in the hallway, his cell phone at his ear. "You're sure?" he waited for a response. "I really don't think this is a good idea. No seriously. This will only end badly." He paused. "Of course I want to help!" Angel said, getting angry. "I'm not the one who turned my back on someone I trusted without giving them the benefit of a doubt! Yes I'm talking about Fred! She died when Willow could have helped. If Giles didn't give me the God damned runaround then maybe..." trailing off, the vampire sighed. "No I don't blame you, not really." Angel let out another sigh. "Buffy, don't. I understand." He said with compassion. He couldn't ever stay mad at her for long. "If you sided with some immortal evil, then I'd be worried too." Angel smirked. "That was absolutely a dig at your boyfriend. You could do better." Smiling now, Angel continued. "No. I don't mean me." He listened for a moment. "I sure as hell didn't mean Spike either!" he said, looking disgusted He rolled his eyes. "Ha. Ha." Angel stopped pacing and his face grew serious. "I'll do it." He pulled the phone away from his ears at the loud and grateful noise Buffy made. "You're welcome. Just don't blame me when this blows up in our faces."

Angel hung up the phone and stared down at the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

As it turned out, there's a button you can press in order to get a nurse to come in and take care of you. Veronica knew that of course, but honestly, she plain forgot. Understandable. One tends to forget things when one hasn't slept since being brutally attacked by two things that may, or may not be monsters. She apologized to Wallace for the oversight, and for freaking out over the thermometer. Wallace was just happy to get more medication.

Smiling an 'I'm so crafty' smile at her best friend, Veronica got out her cell phone and started dialing.

"Who're you calling?" he asked. Veronica shushed him.

-

Cliff McCormack was not having a good time. He really wasn't. As a lawyer, he was used to people who were nuts, and unfortunately this was pretty much par for the norm.

"Listen Punky." He was speaking to his colorfully attired client. They were sitting in one of Sheriff Lamb's lovely interrogation rooms. Cliff was trying to pretend it wasn't hot as Hell in there. His client was trying to pretend she was innocent. "You were caught on camera stealing 2,000 dollars worth of clothes from Fashionably Fabulous Boutique. There isn't actually any way for you to plead innocent without looking like a crazy person."

"First of all, my name ain't Punky! It's Tommie! Second of all, you're MY lawyer! Which means you do like I say! And I say I'm innocent!" the client reasoned logically.

Cliff's cell chose that opportune moment to ring and save him from a potential lawsuit.

"Uh-huh. Just one second." He recognized the ring tone. The melody was sweet and innocent, but the lyrics were all about Machiavellian shenanigans. He chose it specifically for her. "V! How's L.A.?" he asked, never taking his eyes off of the kleptomaniacal Tommie. He pointed to his silver pen. "Don't." Tommie, for her part, gave him the finger. "Oh that's mature."

"Who me?" Veronica used her best innocent voice. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

Cliff rolled his eyes. "No not you you pixy. My client's a little ... free spirited. But really, enough of the socially misaligned, how's L.A.?"

Veronica smiled that smile to her best friend again. "L.A.'s good." Wallace stared at Veronica incredulously, and pointed to his less than useful arm. "We've already been to the Wax Museum, and the Griffith Observatory."

"Lovely. So what do you want?" Asked Cliff, snatching his pen from his client's hands before she could hide it on her person.

"What do you know about Wolfram and Hart?" She asked, looking at Wallace as understanding dawned in his eyes.

Cliff paled. "Only that I never, ever, want to work for, or against them. They have a bad reputation V. Why do you want to know?"

Veronica went for a nonchalant approach "Oh it's no big deal. I was just doing a background check for a case while I had some free time. The client is being represented by a Charles Gunn, he's an attorney for them. I thought maybe you've heard of him?"

"No I haven't. I make it an extra special point NOT to know anything about ANYONE from Wolfram and Hart. And so should you. Buh-bye." Then he hung up.

Tommie let out a slow whistle. "If your buddy's messing with them, they screwed."

Cliff agreed. "Excuse me, I just need to make one more phone call." He proceeded to do just that. "Hi Keith. Guess what."

-

The Hyperion Hotel. Established In 1927, it quickly became THE place to stay in L.A. if you were the privileged. But in the late 40's something changed. Mysterious deaths would occur. Employee turnover rates skyrocketed. Guests begin to behave in a strange manner. It wasn't the owners fault that things would happen. He tried explaining that in an effort to save his hotel. But to no avail. Everything came to an end early 1952. The guests at that grand old place started to see things. Not crazy things like monsters or ghosts. No, those came later. What the people of the Hyperion started seeing was each other. And that is far more terrifying than any made up creature.

No-one is really sure what happened exactly. Some say he was a commie spy, others say he was a bank robber, some even go so far as to say he was betrayed by a lover or a friend. Who ever he was, he ended up hung in the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel. Lynched by the people staying there. That was the final straw. The place was shut down. The hotel laid abandoned, but not empty. The ghost of that man still haunted that place, some said. After all, his body disappeared before anyone could cut it down. Others would say it was his betrayer. Still lingering in the place she damned herself.

People talked about it, for a time. Eventually, interest waned. Who cared what happened in some ratty old hotel ten, twenty, thirty, years ago. Until, finally, it was forgotten completely.

Or so it seemed. In the year 2000, after a little incident with a Thesulac demon, Angel Investigations re-opened their doors at 1481 Hyperion Ave, and stayed there until 2003 when the A.I. team moved to the law offices of Wolfram and Hart. I think we all know how that turned out.

-

Angel walked through the front door, memories assaulting him like a fist. Over there was where Cordelia used to pedicure her nails. The elevator shaft that always needed new doors because he got slammed through them a bunch of different times. Ooh! There's the pillar Fred imbedded an ax in with with her ax slinger/toaster!

'Good times.' Angel thought to himself. 'The best.'

He stood there at the entrance for a bit. Lost in the nostalgia. Until Spike shoved him out of the way bitching about how he was holding up traffic.

"What the hell are we doing in this old dump?" he asked, flopping down on the pouf in the middle of the lobby. "Couldn't you use your money for something better? Like maybe a condo?"

Leveling a glare at the younger vampire, Angel responded with true offense. "That's rich coming from someone who used to live in abandoned warehouses and crypts!"

"Hey!" Spike shouted, leaping from his seat "Don't dis the crypt! I'll have you know, that was an awesome place. It had cable and everything."

"It was a hole in the ground. Literally!" Angel shot back.

Spike smirked lecherously. "Buffy didn't seem to mind it."

"Buffy also dated Riley." Angel sneered.

Before Spike could come up with a scathing retort, he was distracted by the entrance of Illyria. Still looking like Fred, she wandered the lobby, touching things, looking at places. It was very disconcerting for Angel to see Illyria in this place. Spike was just pissed she hadn't changed back.

"Curious." she stated, going to the pillar that the ax had been in. "I have never been here, yet I remember." The wonder on her face was so familiar, that Angel nearly cried.

Spike didn't see her face, but he did notice the change in her body language. "What's so different about this place?" he asked her. "Fred worked at Wolfram and Hart, but I've never seen you act like this there."

Illyria's demeanor became alien again. "The shell lived here. With Angel. This was the first place Fred felt safe after returning from Pylia."

"Speaking of the 'shell'," Angel spat, suddenly angry "why do you still look like her!"

"It was advantageous to our plan that I remain in the Burkle persona. I merely extended that reasoning for while we were in transit." she said tilting her head in that reptilian way.

"Well we're here now. Change back." Angel ordered.

Illyria stared at him for a minute.

Angel stared back.

"It bothers you to see this form."

"It does."

Without taking her eyes off of Angel's, Illyria changed. Brown eyes turned to cold blue. Angel shuddered, and looked away.

"Though I work with you vampire, do not presume to command me." Illyria said coldly. "My power is diminished, yet I remain your superior." With that warning, Illyria walked up to the second floor.

Minutes passed. Angel said nothing. He just stared at the direction Illyria went, an unreadable look on his face.

"What did Buffy want?" Spike finally asked.

Angel walked into his old office and started rummaging through the desk. Spike followed him in.

"I asked a question."

"I heard you." Angel said without looking up from his task.

"So answer me."

"Clear off that chair, would you?" He asked Spike.

Confused, Spike complied, and sat down. Angel let out a small "Ahah!" of triumph, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and sat down at his desk.

Spike eyed the bottle with interest. "What's the occasion? Has this to do with Buffy calling?"

Angel opened the bottle and took a hearty swig. Then another. When he was done he passed the bottle to the younger vampire. Spike took a drink and Angel told him why Buffy called. Spike spat the booze out involuntarily, and turned to his sire with horror filled eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Veronica stared at her cell phone as if she were caught in the headlights of an oncoming car going 200 mph over the corpses of her favorite kittens.

"You going to answer?" Wallace asked. Veronica continued to stare. "Guess not." He said, after the phone stopped ringing. "That was your dad right? What if he heard, and he wanted to see if you were o.k.?"

At that, Veronica whipped her head in Wallace's direction. "Heard?" she said, slightly hysterical. "How would he have? There's just no way." She shook her head. "No. He was just calling to check up on me. I'll call him back in a little bit and tell him every-things good."

"Veronica. We were attacked. I'm sure Mr. Mars would want to know. And I'm also sure he'd rather hear it from you than from some stranger." Wallace said reasonably. Veronica said nothing. Wallace gave her a disappointed look. "Did he leave a message?" He asked.

"Nope." Veronica lied cheerfully. "I told you. Must not have been all that important."

Wallace didn't believe her, but changed the subject anyway. "Got more info on our heros?"

Veronica yawned. "I haven't had a chance to check."

"You looked whipped. Have you even slept at all?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." she lied again. "I can totally go all night."

"Like I wanna hear about you and Logan." he said glancing at the clock. It read 11:30 p.m. "It's getting late. You should sleep. I'll keep looking stuff up, and if I find anything I'll let you know in the morning."

Veronica looked at Wallace's arm. "How can you 'look stuff up' with a broken arm?"

"Please." he scoffed "You act like this is the first time my arm's been broken. I can handle it. Go to bed."

Veronica rubbed her face in her hands. "I can't." she told him, exhausted. "I tried to last night after you passed out. But every time I close my eyes, all I see are those two guys" She went on. "Their faces changed Wallace. How can I sleep after seeing that?" she asked, a little desperately.

"I understand, believe me. But that was just some Hollywood thing. No way can a person's face change without some serious special effects."

Veronica wasn't convinced. "How?"

"Do I look like Stan Winston? I go no idea. All I know is that right now, you need to sleep. You can only stay awake for so long. Sooner or later, your body's gonna want some down time."

"Wallace, what if..." she started.

But he interrupted her. "What if what? What if you go to sleep and feel better?"

Veronica shook her head. "No! That's not it. I want to go to sleep. I just can't." she told him looking miserable.

"The day my dad died, I couldn't sleep either. I thought if I didn't, I wouldn't have to wake up the next day. I wouldn't have to go on without him. I must have stayed up two and a half, three days straight. My mom couldn't take it anymore. She came into my room, and she told me," Wallace paused to look into Veronica's eyes. "She told me that life doesn't stop because I don't sleep. My dad was dead, and if the next day never came, I'd just be stuck in the worst day of my life. The only thing my not sleeping did was prove that I was afraid." Veronica reached out and grabbed Wallace's left hand. "I cried Veronica. Like I never knew I could. Mom stayed with me all night. I must've passed out though, because the next thing I knew, It was morning."

"Did you feel better?" she asked.

Wallace snorted. "No. But I got through the day, and when it was over, I went to bed. The next day came, and the next, and another one after that. Until, I find myself duct taped to a flag pole for no reason, and some skinny white chick cuts me down."

Smiling, Veronica let go of his hand and leaned back in her chair. "No reason? I seem to recall you somehow pissed off the local thugs, and they were just extracting revenge."

Wallace just gave a one arm shrug. "You remember it your way, and I'll remember it mine." Veronica yawned again. "Don't worry Veronica. We'll figure out the face changing. Now, you going to get some sleep?" Wallace asked. "Or am I going to have to bust out the time my hamster ran away?"

Veronica chuckled, a bit more than that little witticism warranted actually. She was really tired. Also? Hamsters equal hilarity.

"Thinking about it." she replied, clearing her head of the hamster dance. "But I don't want to go back to the hotel alone. I can crash here, right?"

"Only if you don't snore."

Veronica objected to comment, but generously let it slide in exchange for a pillow. She then put her feet up, stuck the pillow under her head, and fell asleep. Wallace's comforting presence helped to chase the demons away.

-

"RUN! RUN! OR DIE!" the Lourat demon screamed to it's fellows right before it's neck was broken.

Spike was disappointed. Lourat demons are big, brown, and brawny. He was expecting something of a challenge. Instead all he got were a couple of fighters mixed in with a bunch of cowards. They have a taste for chicken, dogs, and babies. Usually all at once. It was a simple matter to check police reports for crimes that matched the demons tastes. Missing pets, babies, and stores robbed of poultry. That's how he knew there were some in the area. Finding their layer was not so simple. He had to find a dog, use it as bait, and then track the mutt's scent through a sewer. O.k. It wasn't all that hard to do, but it stank to high heaven. You'd think that after 150 plus years of vampirism, he would be used to sewer smell. Whatever. At least there's violence. And Spike needed some after the news Angel dropped earlier.

'What the hell was he playing at anyway?' He wondered to himself as he ducked under a sharpened fist. Lourats can turn their fists into sharp things. It was one of the reasons Spike sought them out.

Slamming his palm up under the demons jaw, Spike released the spring loaded stake he had up his sleeve, sending it deep into the Lourat's brain. He then threw his elbow into the neck of another one trying to get him from behind, stunning it. In one slick motion, Spike pulled the stake out, whirled around, and stabbed the monster in the eye. Surprisingly, stabbing it in the eye didn't kill it. The Lourat just stopped and stared at Spike through its remaining eye.

"You know, this won't kill me." It said, pointing at it's eye.

Spike raised his eyebrow at it. "Doesn't even hurt?"

The demon thought for a second. "Kinda itches." He replied.

Spike nodded. "Well I guess that's why I brought the sword." And then he cut it's head off. After the body fell to the ground, Spike looked around for something else to kill. There was nothing. "All right." he said to nothing. "Now I'm bored."

"Perhaps you could have amused yourself hunting the cowards that ran." Illyria stated, coming from the shadows. " How unfortunate for you that I killed them."

Spike jumped a mile high at the sound of her voice. "Jesus Christ! What the bloody hell are you doing here!" He asked, shaken. Spike was not used to being spooked. He was the one that did the spooking. Not many things can sneak up on a vampire, and even less on Spike. Usually vampires can smell any potential attackers, or victims, before they can get close. Not so with Illyria, for she has no scent. Even the lauded vampire hearing is useless on one who has had untold millennia to work on their stealth. Despite how long they've slept, or what body they currently inhabit.

Amused, (as much as a god king could be anyway) Illyria started to examine the bodies. "Angel requires your presence."

"Yeah? Well you can tell Captain Forehead that I don't come on command." Spike thought over what he said. "At least not when he's doing the commanding." he amended.

"This one's neck is broken." She said, referring to the demons on the floor.

"Which is how I killed it." Spike pointed out helpfully.

"You failed. It is impossible to kill a Lourat by breaking it's neck."

Upon hearing that, the demon in question uttered a heartfelt "Aw crap!" before it's head was torn from it's body.

"The ways to dispatch a Lourat demon are severing head from spine, or..."

"Or destroying it's brain." Spike finished. "I know. I was just hoping that the beastie in question would wake up and lead me to the clan's fallback hideout after I made it think I was gone."

"So that you may kill the rest of them." Illyria concluded, almost impressed.

Spike seemed pleased with himself, but then frowned. "Well I guess that was a waste of a good plan."

Illyria looked around the layer. Discomfort evident on her face, if you knew what to look for. She left. Spike rushed to follow.

"What's the hurry Blue? Spike asked, trying to keep up with Illyria's quick stride.

She answered without slowing down. "To be in this feculent enclosure disgusts me."

Spike could buy that, it was a sewer after all. "So what does old Anglecakes want now?" He asked, catching up.

Illyria looked weird when Spike used Lorne's nickname for Angel. If Spike noticed, he didn't say anything.

"The merchant from whom Angel purchased the aura reading device has called. He will be arriving at the Hyperion shortly in order to tell us the results of his examination." When the duo reached a ladder, Illyria changed to look like Fred.

"HEY! What the hell?" Spike demanded.

Illyria responded as Fred would have. "Well Spike, I can't exactly walk around all blue and stuff now can I?"

He wasn't having any of it. "We stay in the sewer then."

Illyria wrinkled her nose. "But the sewer smells so bad. Plus I don't find them as comforting as I used to, y'know?" And with that, she made her way up the ladder and onto the streets.

-

Spike stormed into the lobby of the Hyperion, Illyria scampered behind him all Fred-like. "I don't see what the problem is Spike. I just wanted something to eat. And when a person..." she paused, looking thoughtful. "I guess I should say 'being' in my case. When a being gets hungry doesn't it make a whole heck of a lot of sense to eat something? Burger King was just right over there. I don't see why we couldn't have stopped for just one minute to get a cheeseburger."

Spike spun around and got right in Illyria's face. Angry that she even started to babble like Fred. He made like he was going to punch her, but held back at the genuinely startled and frightened look she gave him.

Taking a step back, Spike stared at Illyria in awe. "Fred?" He asked.

Illyria seemed confused for a moment. She shed the burkle persona, and her demeanor became alien.

"You dare to raise your fist against me vampire?" She queried, but with no real heat.

Spike ignored the question. "What was that?"

Illyria said nothing. A blank look on her face.

"I said what was that?"

Again, nothing.

"Fred?"

With that, Spike got a response. "There is no Fred, only Illyria!" She practically shouted at him. Illyria went upstairs. Her feet, Fred's feet, were on autopilot. When she stopped she found herself in Fred's old room. "I am Illyria." She reaffirmed. "God King of the Primordium. Fred is dead. Her soul consumed by the fires of my resurrection." Illyria saw her reflection in Fred's mirror and stared.

-

"Something's up with Illyria." Spike barged into Angel's darkened office. "She just gave me a look. A scared one."

Angel leaned his elbows on the desk, his knuckles folded together. The light from the desk lamp illuminated only half of his face. "Was she Fred when this happened?"

Spike sat down in one of the chairs. "Interesting way to put it." he noted. "I could have sworn it was Fred I almost hit."

Angel sat back in his chair, the darkness of the room reclaimed him. If Spike couldn't see in the dark, he might have been impressed.

'Probably why he bought the lamp in the first place.' Spike thought to himself. 'Bastard always did like to be dramatic.'

Spike mulled over the ponderous expression on Angel's face, and came to an obvious conclusion. "She's done it before, hasn't she?"

"A few hours ago. After we first came back from the hospital." Angel confirmed. "She walked around wearing Fred's face, her expressions. I lost it."

"So that's what that was all about." Spike lit a cigarette, and took a long drag.

Angel went on. "I thought she, Illyria, was just..." he paused, struggling to find the right word. "This may change everything Spike. Are you sure what you saw was genuine?"

Spike nodded, exhaling. "So now what?"

Angel looked at Spike. "We wait. We don't have the resources to conduct a full investigation. We'll need help."

Spike took another drag of his cigarette. "The Watchers?" he enquired. Angel nodded. Spike snorted, blowing smoke out of his nose. "Fat lot of good they were last time we asked them for help."

"Things are different now Spike. They thought I was evil. Who could blame them? I never bothered to explain myself."

"You don't have to." Spike pointed out.

"No I don't." Angel agreed. "But if I did, Giles would have put me through to Willow, and we might have saved Fred."

Spike rolled his eyes. "And if wishes were horses, I would own my own race track. No point in 'what if's Angel. They'll only drive you crazy."

Before Angel could reply, some one started to ring the front desk bell for service.

"That must be McAlester." Angel got up and headed up front. "He's the one who sold me the thermometer." He explained to Spike.

"Peachy." Spike replied, following. "Maybe now we can figure out why Nancy Drew and friend got wammied."

"Ah. Mr. Angel." McAlester said when Angel came into sight. "How good to see you again." McAlester was in his mid fifties, six ft two, and about 250 lb. He was dressed in a dark blue, finely tailored suit.

"Mr. McAlester." Angel nodded in greeting. "What did you find out?"

The merchant looked around. "Is there any place we can sit? This may take a while." Angel brought him into his office and turned on a light. After he was settled, McAlester reported his findings. "Before we get started, I must first explain exactly what Champion's Bane does."

Spike was getting impatient. "We already know what it does Professor. We need to know why it did it."

"What you know is nothing boy." Spike raised his eyebrows at that. "Champion's Bane does not only affect those that are champions. It affects anyone with the potential to be champions." Angel nodded, having assumed something along those lines all along. Spike just leaned on the doorway smoking his cigarette. McAlester continued. "The spell has a detrimental effect on the victim. That effect is passed along to anyone of a," He paused, sending a disdainful look at Spike. "relatively virtuous nature, by the bonds of camaraderie."

Spike smirked at the younger man. "So you're telling us that 'little girl sleuth' and her sidekick, are champions?"

"Potential champions, I believe was the term I used." McAlester corrected snidely.

"Well. We," Spike gestured to Angel and himself, "aren't buddy buddy with the bird and boy. So why did they get affected?"

McAlester rolled his eyes at Spike. "If you paid attention, you would have heard me say that the youths in question were affected by Champion's Bane because they're POTENTIAL champions."

Angel interrupted before Spike could retort. "What my colleague means is; we have no affiliation with Ms. Mars and Mr. Fennel. How could they be affected because of Gunn?"

McAlester spoke to Angel like he was a two year old. "Well, Mr. Angel, the spell directly hinders any efforts to save the victim. That is the reason why you and your dimwitted 'associate' here, had trouble finding Mr. Gunn."

Spike glared at Mcalester. "You want to be careful. I'm beginning to have a powerful dislike of your general existence."

"Spike." warned Angel. "Behave. Mr. McAlester, please continue."

"Of course." He said pompously. "The spell has a minor area of effect on those that it considers to be 'good'." He pulled out cigarette. "Would you mind?" he asked Angel, referring to the unlit smoke.

"Not at all. Spike. Give him your lighter."

"What? No!" He denied incredulously. "Let him light his own!"

"Spike. Do it." His tone left no room for argument. After a second, Spike decided that Angel was serious, and gave the awful little man a light.

"Hmm." He puffed a bit. "All right, where were we? No I remember. The spell could also double as a 'champion detector' for lack of a better term. Upon casting, the spell seeks out those with the characteristics found in a champion." He took a haul of his cigarette, then went on. "Such as, a willingness to do good, see justice done, that sort of thing. Now, what that means is: Your little friends have the potential to be players."

Angel got up and walked around his desk and leaned against the front, folding his arms across his chest. "So they're valuable?"

Spike quirked his eyebrow at that question. McAlester looked a little startled.

"Wuh-Well, I suppose so."

Angel leaned forward and rested his palms on the the arms of McAlester's seat. "In that case," he vamped out. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't let Spike end you for selling them out to Wolfram and Hart."

Spike smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Keith Mars placed his gun in it's holster, picked up his bag, and strode out of his office. Worry and anger etched all over his face.

'She better have no fingers, because other wise I'm going to kill her for not answering her phone.' He thought to himself. 'Yep. Plain old murder. No jury would convict me.'

'Of course, that's only if she's still alive.' A nasty voice said in his head.

'Shut up.' He told it. 'She's perfectly fine ... until I kill her for making me worry.'

Keith got into his car and sped away.

-

Veronica and Lily were walking hand in hand down the streets of Neptune. It was day. The sun felt glorious, and Veronica knew that everything would be all right. That was her first mistake. Her second was questioning it.

Veronica looked to her best friend. "Aren't you supposed to be gone?" She asked sadly.

Lily turned toward her. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, blood streaming down her face from a mortal wound. "Aren't you?"

Veronica tried to pull her hands from Lily's ice cold grip. "Please!" She begged. "Let go!"

When that didn't work, she tried calling for help. "DADDY! HELP ME! DUNCAN! LOGAN! WALLACE! SOMEBODY PLEASE!"

They didn't come. Veronica desperately tried to claw at Lily's face. But before she could, Lily pushed her away.

"God Veronica! If you wanted me to let go so badly, all you had to do was say so!" The sun was gone, and so was the blood from her face. Her eyes, though still lifeless somehow, were no longer dull. "I mean seriously, do you really need to get all 'girl fight' ? I thought we were friends." Lily tugged at her collar absently. "Not like you could take me anyway." She said playfully.

Veronica noticed the wound on Lily's neck.

"You're hurt!" she cried, reaching to see if she could help.

Lily, again, grabbed Veronica's hand. "Trust me," she smirked "I'm not."

Her face changed, and Lily's teeth tore into Veronica's throat.

-

Veronica woke up with a start. Actually, it was more like she woke up with blood curdling terror. Either way, she still fell out of her chair.

"Uhh." she groaned, "That was impressive." She started to rise. "Don't worry Wallace, I'm fine. No need to make sarcastic..." but Wallace was gone! He wasn't in his bed! Where was he? Was he missing? Was he hurt? Oh my God! What if he was kidnapped! All of her questions were answered when she heard the flush of a toilet.

Wallace came out of the bathroom, holding Veronica's computer. "Hey. Good sleep?" he asked when he saw her. She went up to him and gave him a big hug.

"I take it that's a no?"

"Uh-huh." she said into his shoulder.

She let go after a beat, and smiled at him. "Sorry. I had a really, really bad dream and when you weren't there when I woke up, I panicked in a 'sleepy illogical' kinda way."

Wallace smiled back. "Don't worry. This is a vast improvement over the last time you had a nightmare around me."

"It was your fault." Veronica told him. "You woke me up."

"Still didn't have to kick me."

She looked at what Wallace had in his good hand. "Speaking of kicking. Did you just bring my laptop with you into the bathroom?"

"Ummm..."

A look of nausea appeared on her face. "That's so gross." Wallace tried to defend himself. But really, what kind of defense could one come up with in this situation? "Just tell me you washed your hands." Veronica pleaded.

Wallace assured her that he did as he got back in his bed. "You should see what I found." He told her after he got settled. "Check it out. Angel has a website."

"Really? Gimme." She eagerly reached for her laptop. "Huh. Angel Investigations. I've never heard of them." Veronica read the company slogan. "We Help the Hopeless?" She raised an eyebrow at that one. "Kind of a weird slogan for a P.I."

"Yeah. About that." Wallace started. "How come you don't have a slogan?" He thought for a second. "Mars Investigations: We're Out of This World."

Visibly trying to contain her laughter, Veronica shot back. "Wallace Fennel: Deeply Stupid."

Wallace grinned at her. "OK. So maybe advertising isn't in my future, but investigation...? Look at this." He pointed to employee list link.

Veronica opened the page. "Now what?"

Wallace told her to click on 'Winifred Burkle: Technical Associate.'

"It's the nurse." Veronica looked smug. "See. I told you she was a phony."

But Wallace wasn't done yet. "Why don't you google her name."

When she did, she found obituaries. "Dead? Winifred Burkle is dead?"

Wallace nodded. "According to her parents, she died about a year ago."

"Twin sister?" Veronica suggested.

"Papers said she was an only child."

"Maybe they were separated at birth." Wallace gave her a look. "It happens." she said defensively. "Just look at Mac."

"She was switched at birth, not separated."

"Still very soap opera." Veronica reminded him. "She faked her death and is in hiding."

"In California. Two blocks from where she used to work." Wallace said flatly. "If that's true, somebody should be fired. Because they did a terrible job."

Veronica was getting frustrated. "Well what Wallace? Did she come back to life? That makes much more sense. I don't know why I didn't think of that first."

Wallace took it all in stride. "Go to the links page." He instructed solemnly.

Veronica did. "Demonsdemonsdemons dot com?" she looked at her friend. "Are you kidding me?"

"Yeah." he told her in a tone that said he wasn't. "Click on it."

After about a minute Wallace heard the reaction he was waiting for.

"Oh my God. This has got to be a joke. Wikipedia dot com/demons?" she asked incredulously. "This has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen."

"Look up vampires." He asked quietly.

At that, Veronica stilled. A strange emotion in her eyes. It could have been fear. It might not have. But he could count the times, on one hand, when Veronica looked like that. The first was the time she came clean on the Lily Kane murder file. The second was when she told him what happened with Beaver. Veronica Mars shows many faces. Anger, hate, love, despair, sorrow, sometimes joy, occasionally happiness, and once, he could have sworn he saw contentment. But this. This look now. It meant something bad. And Wallace knew why.

Veronica shook her head, and the look was gone. Replaced with an almost desperate disbelief. "Come on Wallace. Vampires? Do you even know how you sound?"

Wallace nodded. "Like I took too many pills. I don't expect you to believe me. Not until you look them up. I didn't even think of vampires until I read the site's article on common demons. I thought it'd be funny." He told her, shrugging.

She stared at him like he was some kind of mental. "Well you're right. It does sound like you took too many drugs. Is it time for an intervention?"

"It sounds crazy, and it probably is, but don't give me that look until you read. It all adds up. The face changing, the teeth, the strength, the eyes, all of it gets a mention."

But Veronica didn't look. She just turned her laptop off, got up, and started pacing. Wallace wanted to be surprised. He wanted to be offended that she wouldn't even look, but he couldn't be. After all, if some-one came up to him a week ago and talked about vampires seriously, he wouldn't even have given a listen. Not even if that some-one was close to him. It was all just too stupid. Vampires were fictional characters in Anne Rice novels. In real life, they were portrayed by morphine addicts who star in B movies. They weren't supposed to go around attacking two kids from Neptune. If he didn't find that site, he would've chalked it up to some kids on drugs or something. Dismissed the faces as some kind of illusion. Even after reading about something that was so similar to what he saw, he still couldn't fully believe it. He wanted Veronica to take a look too. He hoped that she would be able to shed some well needed skepticism, but she believed. She just wouldn't admit it to herself yet. And that, Wallace realized, was the real reason why she shut her laptop off.

"What was your dream about?" He asked her. Veronica stopped pacing and turned to him.

"Nothing. It was just a nightmare, that's all." She sat back down in her chair. "It was silly."

Wallace wasn't hearing that. "Silly enough for you to manhandle me when I came out of the bathroom." He pointed out.

Veronica glared, annoyed he brought that up. " I already told you. In my after sleep daze, I thought something bad happened to you. But if I knew you where going to be crabby, I wouldn't have bothered."

"Was it about the other night?" Wallace asked gently.

"Just leave it alone OK? I don't need analyzing." She snapped back, raising her voice slightly.

But he wouldn't budge. "Well you sure need something. You look like crap, and you only slept for like, two hours."

Veronica was stunned at that fact. She looked to the clock and confirmed it for herself. "I thought it was longer." She said quietly.

"Why?" Wallace asked. "Was it because of the nightmare?" She nodded her head. "What was it about Veronica?"

She breathed deeply, steeling herself for something that she knew would be unpleasant.

"Lily. It was about Lily."

"Go on." Wallace encouraged, happy she was opening up. So she told him about her dream, and when she finished, Wallace let out a slow whistle. "That's messed up." Veronica agreed, but Wallace wasn't done. "You saw something I didn't that night." Not saying anything Veronica just stared down at her hands. "You don't need to read some website, you saw it first hand." She kept staring. "Come on Veronica! Please? I gotta know." Wallace was pleading now. His desire to know overriding any sense of decorum. "What did you see?"

Veronica raised her head slowly. "No." She said softly. "You can't know. Because if you do? Then it's real."

"Doesn't matter if I know or not Veronica, it's still real!" He told her forcefully. Veronica was shaking her head now, hands covering her ears. Desperate to deny the truth. "How can you ignore the truth, when it's biting you on the neck! I know it's harsh but..."

"Harsh? Harsh? I'll tell you what's harsh Wallace!" Veronica was enraged now. "Harsh is realizing you were raped! Harsh is hearing the murderer of my best friend being found innocent! Thinking my dad died, watching my mom leave again and again! Harsh is my life Wallace!"

Wallace could only respond to her rage with calm. "My dad died, that was harsh on me. And then I found out he wasn't even my birth father. My mom lied to me my whole life. That was harsh too. I found a girl I love, and I lost her. My best friend gets in so much trouble, I thank God everyday she isn't dead." He looked her in the eyes "You don't have the monopoly on harsh Veronica Mars. Plenty of it to go around." Wallace Fennel sounded wiser than his years.

Veronica was crying now, a little girl terrified of the dark. Full on tears and sobs and snot. "You don't understand." She bleated.

The response was simple. "Then make me."

She was shaking her head again. "I can't Wallace."

"Why?"

Veronica seemed to calm somewhat, though the tears still fell freely. She seemed amazed that the question didn't end her. She tilted her head thoughtfully. And when she spoke, it was with only a little of the emotion that she felt.

"I have grown up, all my life, with the knowledge that people were evil. I spent my formative years seeing humanity cheat, lie, steal, rape, murder. I've seen the worst in mankind, and that terrifies me." Her voice began to loose her unnatural calm. "And now I find out they aren't the worst that's out there? Now I have to deal with vampires and monsters?" She broke down completely again. "God, Wallace. What are we going to do? How can we survive this?"

Wallace sat up and pulled her close. She clung to him like a life line. His words were spoken softly, but with conviction. "I don't know. But if anyone could, it's you V. You have got to be the bravest person I have ever met. Whatever comes? I got your back. We'll face it together."


	8. Chapter 8

"So, they really just explode." Wallace said in amazement. He was in and out of consciousness when they were rescued, so he had missed it when Joe and Pete dusted. It was one thing to read about a vampire exploding into dust, but it was something else entirely to get confirmation from some-one you know. The hour was late and Veronica had mostly recovered from her, well, panic attack. She still seemed somewhat shaky, but was definitely in better spirits than before. The two of them were now recounting their own perspectives on the assault.

"Yep. I was staring up at him ... it" Veronica corrected "when all of a sudden: Thunk!" She paused dramatic purposes. "Arrow in the chest." "Then, it just sort of ... crumbled." She halted her narrative again, looking for the best way to describe a vamp dusting. "It looked like the vampire lost all of it's body moisture and was in terrifying need of a good skin cream." Clearly she failed.

Wallace blinked. "Skin cream." he repeated flatly, unsure whether or not he heard correctly. Veronica just nodded self importantly. It was her description, and she would stand by it damn it! "I'm impressed." And he did look impressed. "I didn't know it was possible to actually loose ALL touch with reality."

"Pshaw." Veronica waved his comment away. "You, my fine fractured friend, are just jealous of my dizzying intellect." Before she could continue her story, Veronica's cell phone rang. "Bet I know who it is." She looked at the caller I.D., and smiled. "Hi Pop!" she greeted enthusiastically. "So how soon till you get here?" She was assuming, correctly, her father was on his way to L.A.

Wallace shook his head. "Yeah, you're dizzy all right."

Keith Mars was a patient man. Really. Even his daughter would agree to that statement. Being a private investigator, patience is more than a virtue. It's an absolute necessity. So is keeping a level head. You just can't be a P.I. if you couldn't keep your cool. Being a father, on the other hand, throws all of that patience and level headedness right out the freaking window. "Oh about twenty minutes, barring traffic. So you you better enjoy them. Because when I get there, I'm going to kill you."

Veronica raised her eyebrows. "He's already threatened my life." She told Wallace. "I'm fine Dad and you?" Veronica knew that she was provoking Keith, but he was laying it on kind of strong. It wasn't her fault that she was attacked and almost murdered. He was reacting like she goes out and looks for mortal danger. Sure, she should have called him, let him know what was going on, but she was dealing with something truly horrible. The last thing she wanted to do at the time was to talk about what happened. Now, though, she was glad to hear her father's voice. Even if he was promising death. So Veronica decided to ease up on him. "Sorry," she told him "It's been bad here. Wallace got hurt."

"Is he OK?" Keith asked, concerned. Wallace has been good for Veronica, helping her to get out of a bad place that Lily's death left her in.

"He's got a broken arm, but the plucky duck won't let it get him down." She told him cheerfully. Wallace rolled his eyes at 'plucky', but smiled nonetheless. "Dad says hi. Wallace says hi back. Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, I assume you heard from Cliff about our little sitch?"

"Not exactly. He called me earlier with the news that my daughter, whom I love more than life itself, is investigating Wolfram and Hart. Honey. What the hell are you thinking? Going up against them is like giving the finger to Jesus. It isn't done." Keith thought for a moment. "Actually, it's worse than that. Jesus is forgiving. Wolfram and Hart? Not so much."

Veronica had an explanation. One that, she was sure, would absolve her from her father's wrath for arousing any supposed danger from some stupid law firm. Now, if only her doting dad would stop ranting to her about filicide and how he hadn't always been bald, and just listen for a second. 'Fat chance.' she thought to herself, as Keith went into the logistics and likelihood of her ending up in a specially modified habitat for the rest of her natural life. Veronica really wanted to point out how inefficient it would be to build such a place if he was planning her death, so she did.

"Details sweetie." was all he had to say about that. "Now, when I get there, you shall have one, count them, one opportunity to explain why you are undeserving of such a fate."

Perfect. That's all she needed.

-

Spike washed his hands in silence. The kind of silence that leaves you feeling vaguely uncomfortable. It wasn't the torture that left him uneasy. McAlester deserved it. Greasy git. No. It was the information learned because of it. Angel stalked out of the room behind Spike, disgust plain on his face, and blood on his shirt.

"This was brand new!" he lamented. "Do you know how hard it is to wash blood out of this kind of fabric?" Spike turned around and gave him a 'duh you idiot' look. Angel, embarrassed, changed the subject to a more serious matter. "We should move in soon."

Spike nodded, putting on his trademark long leather coat. "When?"

"As soon as possible." Angel stood up, determined, and strode toward an exit. His own long coat billowing behind dramatically. The older vampire stopped and glanced down at his bloody shirt. "Right after I change." Angel amended, making a quick detour toward his room. "Oh and Spike, see to it that Mr. McAlester is taken care of."

"I just washed my hands!" Spike called out after him. "Ass. He's the one still covered in blood, but he tells me to do the dirty work." Spike went back into the room where a bleeding and frightened McAlester sat. Bound and gagged by ropes and chains, he started to quiver with an uncontrollable fear when he caught site of the ranting vampire. "I mean, is that fair?" Spike asked his captive. "I'm all cleaned up. Got all of your blood out, and now he wants me to sully myself getting rid of your stupid carcass." McAlester's eyes widened at the word 'carcass', and he started to struggle. "Oh quit it. I'm not going to kill you." Clearly McAlester didn't believe what he was told, and struggled even harder. Spike rolled his eyes and slapped him upside the head. Hard. "I said I wasn't going to kill you. Doesn't mean I don't want to." The vampire pulled in close. "You do everything I say, you don't end up a meal, and I don't have to get myself messy carrying you out. Everybody wins. Got it?" When he received no response, Spike realized McAlester was unconscious. He sighed dejectedly. "Bloody hell."

-

Angel stood there, shirtless, staring at the contents of his closet. One would assume, by looking at him, that he was trying to decide what shirt to wear. One would be wrong. He was, in fact, thinking. Thinking about those kids that were now caught up in this world for no reason other than being good people in the wrong place and time. Thinking about how McAlester sold them out for only a few grand. And a suit. It was a nice suit granted, but that's besides the point. That suit was also how Angel knew that the unpleasant merchant sold them out.

When Angel visited McAlester's shop, he was wearing old clothes, and the shop was in need of repair. The old man also tried to overcharge for the enchantment on the thermometer, claiming to need the funds. Either he was lying about needing money, or he just recently came into some. The only people around who would be interested in the information McAlester had, and had the money to pay for it, was Wolfram and Hart. Angel wasn't certain that the old man sold them out to the law firm, until they went into his office. It was, after all, conceivable that McAlester owned a nice suit and pulled it out for when he met clients. Except that Angel could smell the evil law firm all over him. One doesn't work in a place for a year without knowing the scent like the back of their hand.

It was impressive really, how quickly the Los Angeles branch of the firm was rebuilt. It would've been disheartening if he didn't know for a fact that it was operating at less than ten percent of it's previous capacity. When his team brought something down, they did it right. It will take years for Wolfram and Hart to rebuild their reputation and resources. Not to mention the damage done to the Circle of the Black Thorn. Already, a new set of puppet masters have been put in place, but with nowhere near the amount of power or influence the previous members had. But despite all that, Wolfram and Hart were still dangerous, still powerful. To underestimate them would be asking to die. And now they know the names of two innocent teenagers.

Angel could still see the look on Veronica's face when he rescued her. It was the same look Buffy had after she finally believed she was a slayer. Shock, horror, disbelief, and a realization that nothing could ever be the same. It tore his heart out then, so does it now. Angel shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He grabbed a shirt and threw it on while heading down the stairs. It was time to go to work.


	9. Chapter 9

When Fred was ten, her father bought her a puppy. She named it Socrates, or 'Soc' for short. She loved that little puppy like she never could again. Seriously. That's how much she loved that dog. Her and Soc, best buds forever.

Soc was a rambunctious, and curious little thing. He always wanted to play. He would play with Mommy. He would play with Daddy. He would play with the other animals on the ranch. He would even play with the ducks by the pond. If Soc had a fault, (and he didn't, clearly, how could such an awesome doggy have a fault?) it was that he liked to play too much. Soc would sometimes leave the ranch and go out looking for 'adventure'. Usually in mean Mr. Anders's farm. More specifically, his hen house. Now Soc was raised on a steady diet of delicious and nutritious puppy chow, so he had no need to try and eat Mr. Anders's hens like he said Soc was trying to do. Soc was just playing with them. He probably liked to see them squawk and run around like they ain't got no heads. But in fairness to Mr. Anders, it was more than likely real bothersome to hear your hens making that awful racket. He would come by after one of Soc's 'visits' with her dog tied to a rope, meanie, and yell at her and her parents. Generally, he would demand her parents put her sweet Socrates on a leash. They tried it once you know, but Soc cried and whined late into the night. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and she ran outside and undid that stupid leash and she and Soc played until Daddy came out and yelled at her for not being in bed. Funny how he didn't mention letting Soc loose.

One day, Soc didn't come home. Daddy went out looking all night, but he couldn't find him. The next day came, and she spent most of it on her bed. Crying for her missing best friend. Later that night, Daddy came into her room, and she could tell right then and there, that something was bad. He found Socrates. Shot dead. Mr. Anders did it. The mean old bastard said it was an accident. That he was only trying to scare her dog away. Her. Dog. Hers! Well that night, after the sherif came over to take Daddy's statement, she snuck out of her room and went to Mr. Anders' farm. She would teach him the error of his ways. One did not take things from Fred without retribution. Arriving at the contemptible barbarian's domicile, she entered his shed, removed, the gasoline, and watched with satisfaction as the fowls burned and screamed.

-

"NYAGH!" Illyria sat straight up from her position on the floor. She was breathing heavy. lIke she had just run a marathon. She looked down at her sweaty, shaking body, and realized that was a nightmare. It must have been, for it was not possible the sweet natured WInifred Burkle to perform such a terrible act. No. The ending of that nightmare was derived from Illyria's own sense of pride and possesion. While she ruled, if someone had the audacity to steal or destroy something precious to her, Illyria would reap vengeance of epic scale. The very ground would tremble in fear, and the sky would lament her anger. She felt dampness on her cheeks, and knew, from Wesley's death, that it indicated grief. 'Why,' She thought to herself 'should I feel grief for an unimpressive and short lived beast?' And grieve she did. She shed fat tears of sorrow, yet without the heaping sobs. It looked as though her eyes were just leaking. Until you actually looked into them. The normally ice blue orbs were warm brown, and those eyes held the pain of a little girl who lost her best friend. Illyria's demeanor and form remained. She had not changed to the Burkle persona, that was confirmed in Fred's mirror. What was happening? For the first time in it's existence, the creature known as Illyria was afraid.

She stalked down the stairs of the Hyperion and into Angel's office. The former God King was looking for something, anything, to help explain what was happening to her. She tore though tome after tome, seeking answers that just were not there. Growing more and more agitated all the while. Finally, after what felt like hours, she slumped down to the floor in defeat. Illyria had never felt so low, and she shed more tears. These were tears of shame for her fallen state.

"Aw Fred, just look at you." Illyria's head whipped up at the unexpected voice.

"I know you." she said with growing recognition. "You assisted Angel in returning his soul."

Willow Rosenberg walked into the devastated office and kneeled next to what was once her friend. She smiled sadly. "Yeah, and now I'm gonna help you."

-

Morgan Walker was heading to her new office. She has just been appointed C.E.O. of the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart, but she's not really all that happy about it. Especially considering what happened to the previous heads of operations. Holland Manners was butchered, not by ordinary vampires, but by half of the legendary scourge of Europe. Nathan Reed vanished without a trace. Linwood Murrow was decapitated by Lilah Morgan, who in turn, was killed by Angelus, who in turn was attacked by an army of demons. Are you seeing a pattern here? O.K. great pay. All the cars a girl could want. And the absolute best health and dental in the world. All that did help make the job more bearable, but it really didn't matter because she was probably going to die young anyway. Ah well. At least she could enjoy her fantastic new office in the meantime. Except that the aforementioned Angelus was sitting in her chair with his feet on her desk.

"Your vampire detector's broken." Angel informed her, gesturing to the deceased monk on her couch. Fighting her urge to panic at the unexpected sight of the worst mass murderer she has personally seen, Morgan arched her eyebrows and calmly told him to get out of her chair. Angel just chuckled. "Not bad. If I couldn't smell the fear radiating off of you, I wouldn't have been able to guess you were about to piss yourself." Angel put on his most charming smile. "Come on. Am I really that scary?"

Morgan took a moment to remind herself that the vampire before her has a soul before responding. "What are you doing here? How did you get in without him," she pointed to the dead sorcerer on the couch "detecting your presence?"

Angel leapt over her desk and got in her face before she had time to blink. "Skill." He told her and Morgan shrank back despite herself. Angel's smile returned. "Now," he continued, "you're going to tell me why Wolfram and Hart is interested in Veronica Mars and Wallace Fennel. Otherwise?" Angel started to play with a set of keys he pulled out of his coat, "I'm going to show you exactly how skilled I am."

"But we aren't!" Morgan denied almost pleadingly, "We wanted to know why they were affected by Champion's Bane, but that's it! I swear!" She looked at the cheerfully jangling keys as though imagining what could be done with them. "Our interest in them vanished once we learned the truth."

"They're potential champions." Angel reminded her. "If they wanted to, they could make life very difficult for your side of the fence." Angel reached out quick and put his arm around Morgan. As he did so, she let out a little shriek. "You mean to tell me that you guys aren't worried about things like that?" He poked her nose in an endearing fashion. "Come on. This is me here. I know how you people think, so don't tell me that you aren't interested in them." He jangled the keys again. "I don't like it when people lie to me."

Morgan started to shake her head. "But we aren't. We don't have the time, or, or the resources to waste on a POTENTIAL threat." She shrugged her way out of Angel's arm. "No. Our big mission, right now, is to set up shop again." Morgan chuckled a little. "Seriously. If we spent all our time going after potential champions we would never get any work done. I mean do you know how many potential champions are out there?" Angel started to answer, but Morgan went on before he could. "A lot. Too many to count really. Just because a person has the potential to be a champion, doesn't mean that they'll become one." She gave a small smile. "Thank God for human nature huh? Makes my job easier." She sat down at her desk and put her glasses on. "Now, is there anything else Wolfram and Hart can do for you?"

Angel gave the woman a confused look. "A minute ago you were practically faint, now you're as cool as a cucumber?"

Morgan smirked. "If you were going to kill me, or torture me, or do any of the nasty things you implied, then you would have done them. You wouldn't have bothered to threaten me in the first place." She took a deep breath. "I have work to do." Before she could get started on any of it, she found herself held by the neck up against the wall.

"Don't get me wrong Morgan. Just because I didn't torture you, doesn't mean that I actually have any problem doing it." Angel vamped out and threw her across the room. "Next time?" he growled, "I bring pliers." Then he was gone and Morgan Walker was left alone. Wheezing and coughing on the floor of her office.

-

"You're making me dizzy." Wallace told a pacing Veronica.

"Then stop watching me." Veronica was nervous. Really nervous. She had never, in her life, imagined that she would have to explain to her dad that she was attacked by vampires. It was bad enough when she was attacked by people, but add demons to the mix? He would either have her committed, or lock her up in that hamster ball thing he so likes referring to. If she's lucky, she'll get the habitat that's his new favorite 'Let's Lock Up Veronica for Her Own Good' plan instead.

"How am I supposed to stop watching you? You block the T.V."

"Only intermittently." Veronica helpfully pointed out. "You can still find out who's boning who on the 'Surreal Life' in between my pacing."

Wallace rolled his eyes and shut off the television. "Yeah thanks, but I think instead I'll see what's up with my best friend." He put his 'I'm listening' face on and sat ready to listen. He was a picture of readiness. A veritable cornucopia of attention that ... well I think you have the idea.

Veronica, for her part, stopped pacing, and stared at Wallace like she couldn't believe she got stuck with someone as dense as him for a BFF. "Are you joking?" she practically shouted. "My dad will be here any second and I have absolutely no freaking idea what I'm going to tell him!"

Wallace raised his eyebrows. "I thought you were going to tell him the truth?"

"Yeah, that only lasted until I got to 'I was attacked by vampires." Veronica told him bitterly, then flopped into her chair. "I really don't think that's going to fly."

It was Wallace's turn to look at his BFF like she was stupid. "So just leave out vampires. We were attacked and then we got rescued. Simple Miss Mars."

Veronica blinked. Twice. "I guess that'll work."

"Damn. You really are messed up over this, huh?" Wallace observed worriedly.

Veronica smiled sardonically. "Well duh, Dip. What else could I be? Vampires plus reality equals all work and no play make Veronica go something something."

Wallace smirked. "Well, at least you can still quip."

Veronica smiled again, this time for real. "I know! Thank God. I'd be lost without my witty rejoinders." Her smile faded, and she looked at the clock. "It's been a while since Dad called. Traffic can't be that bad this time of night." She looked to Wallace for a plausible explanation.

Wallace gave her a look. "What?" He asked.

She let out a mock sigh. "You're of the urban demo right? So, like, maybe you could, like, tell me what's up in the urbs."

"You're terrifying. You know that right?" Wallace spoke like to her like he genuinely feared for her sanity. (between you and me, it ain't like he don't got reason to worry)

"Yeah, well ... sanity's boring. Being crazy is much more exciting." She told him while she fished out her laptop. "I'm gonna do more research on the demons and stuff." Veronica stifled a yawn. "After I get some coffee. You want?"

She asked, heading for the door. Wallace replied in the negative and turned the T.V. back on. Veronica stifled another yawn in the hallway. On the way to the coffee machine, she started humming along to the muzak. The coffee was made with little incident, I'm sure you're glad to know. With coffee in hand, she headed back to Wallace's room, when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller I.D. It was her father. Smiling, she answered the phone. "Papa," she chided mockingly, "you know you're supposed tell me when you ain't gonna be home in time for dinner. I was getting worried." Her only response was silence. "Dad?" Nothing. "Dad! Are you O.K.? Why don't you say something?"

**"Because he is not O.K." **Veronica's coffee dropped onto the linoleum flooring of the hospital. **"If you wish your father to live, you will do what I say exactly. Do you understand?" **Her memory flashed back to what was undeniably the worst night of her life. The night she thought her father, the most important person in the world, was dead.

With that horrible event fresh in her mind, there was really only one answer she could give: "I understand."


	10. Chapter 10

The girl ran through the hospital in a panic. Heart pounding. Tears blinding her. That, coupled with a careless haste, caused her to trip. She landed on the floor, hard. The girl let out a choking sob of almost compete agony, then buried it. Through sheer force of will, she replaced the despair that was wracking her soul with an angry determination. Veronica Mars picked herself up off of the floor and walked down the hall toward her destination. The bastards that took her father have no idea what she's capable of. But they would find out.

-

Charles Gunn was healing up nicely, if he did say so himself. The feeling was coming back in his right hand, and his ribs no longer felt like they were optional accessories to his torso. All in all, he felt he was ready to get out. The doctors disagreed of course, but he seriously needed to leave. There's only so much daytime t.v. a man can take before he gets homicidal on everybody. And who could blame him? How many times did a man need to make the same show about a bunch of slutty momma's finding thirty-seven guys she slept with, getting them to take paternity tests, only to find out none of them are the father? Gunn smiled to himself as he watched a slutty momma go nuts when she still didn't find her baby's daddy. 'O.K. Maybe it's a little fun. But damn if it ain't the guiltiest pleasure I've had since Gilbert and Sullivan.' Gunn's thoughts were interrupted by a blonde girl barging into his room.

"Can I help you?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Damn right you can." was the girls response. "You can tell me what the hell is going on!"

Gunn took in the girl's posture, and took special notice of the look in her eyes. He honestly regretted what he was about to say next. "Girl, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Her eyes narrowed. "My father was just kidnapped by someone that sounded like they were calling through a voice distorter. Which is funny because they used my dad's phone to contact me. The punch-line is his cell phone doesn't have that feature."

Gunn sat up at the mention of a kidnapping. "What make's you think I know what's going on?"

"You're Charles Gunn right?" Gunn nodded, not surprised that this girl knew his name. "You worked for Wolfram and Hart. The evil lawyer stereo type to end all evil lawyer stereo types. If that doesn't put you in the know, then I'm betting being a member Angel Investigations does."

Gunn was impressed. The lady did her homework. "If you want us to look into your father's kidnapping, first I'm going to need some info. Who are you? Why come to me instead of the cops. And finally; Do I know you? Because you look familiar."

She counted down her responses with her fingers. "Veronica Mars. Demons did the kidnapping. I was there when Angel and Spike rescued you."

He took a moment to process all that. Gunn recognized the name of course. 'No wonder she knows who I am, the girl's a regular Sam Spade.' Angel had explained everything. How Veronica helped her dad solve cases, how she managed to clear Abel Koontz's name, how she and her friend got hurt, and most importantly, how they were sold out to Wolfram and Hart. 'So this is a potential champion.' he thought. Looking into her eyes and seeing a familiar resolve, he could believe it. But before Angel Investigations became committed to their first new case, Gunn wanted to be certain he heard correctly. "Demons kidnapped your father?" Veronica nodded. "Are you sure?"

She scowled in annoyance. "They sounded like they were speaking through a mouthful of evil rocks. So yeah, I'm going with demons."

Gunn took a deep breath. "O.K. I've got to make a few calls. Give me twenty minutes to get the team together and we'll figure this out." He looked her directly in the eyes. "You're dad is going to be fine." Gunn smiled reassuringly. "We're professionals."

"Twenty minutes?" Veronica asked of Gunn, ignoring his attempts to reassure her. He nodded. "Good. Then when I get back, you guys can tell me why my dad was kidnapped in order to get to me." And then she was gone.

-

Spike whistled a jaunty tune as he traversed the sewers to avoid the morning sunshine. He had just dumped that scuzzy bastard McAlester out in some ally, and Spike helped himself to the contents of the man's wallet. 'That was an easy three hundred bucks.' he thought contentedly as he came in through the hotel's sewer entrance. Spike's contentment vanished in the lobby when he noticed a couple of familiar scents. 'Oh hell! It's begun.' The vampire braced himself for the worst, and he got it. Walking down the stairs of the Hyperion Hotel, was none other than his hated nemesis and occasional roommate: Xander Harris.

"Oh look," Spike sneered, "it's Droopy the one-eyed wood butcher." Angel was going to suffer for this. How the hell could he just agree to let Xander Harris of all people stay here! Spike knew for a fact that Angel hated the guy too. O.K. Buffy asked him to do it, but still! He wasn't getting any from the Slayer and he was still whipped. The shame of it all! You wouldn't see a bad-ass vamp like Spike kowtowing to the Slayer like that. Unless he was actually getting some that is. Then he would do whatever she wanted.

Having not noticed him, Xander was startled by Spike's disdainful greeting. He looked down at the vampire with a surprisingly unreadable expression. When Xander reached the bottom of the stairs, he approached Spike and got right in his face.

"When Buffy found out you were alive, but didn't think she was worth calling, she felt so hurt she cried for a month." Spike was stunned by the statement and tried to formulate a response, but Xander wasn't finished. "Dawn wanted me to give you this." And then he punched him in the stomach. Shocked more than hurt, Spike fell to his knees. Xander smirked. "You should be thankful Willow let me deliver the message. She wanted to, but I kinda had a bad time of it lately, and she felt I could use some cheering up." His smirk became a full blown smile. "Hey! She was right!"

And Spike arose. A grim figure of vengeance and fury. He totally would have killed Xander on the spot if Illyria hadn't just come flying out of Angel's office and slammed into Spike at what looked like mach 5, knocking him back down. The vampire was out for the count.

Xander just continued to smile cheerfully. "Hey Will." He greeted as the witch followed. "Wanna tell me why you hit Spike with a girl?"

Willow turned to Xander to explain, but was distracted when she saw the look on his face. "Xander! You're smiling! I knew coming back to California was a good idea!" She stated happily. Xander would have responded but was distracted by his first good look at the rising fallen god king of the primordium.

"Woah. Blue pretty." Was his dreamy reaction. Illyria either didn't hear him, or decided to ignore his complement. She addressed only Willow.

"First you insult me by referring to me as the shell, then you dare to attack?" Illyria's face was a study in fury, but Willow seemed unafraid. She had, after all, just knocked Illyria into another room.

"Firstly, my calling you 'Fred' isn't an insult, it's your name. Secondly, you attacked me. I only turned that force back at you."

"Winifred Burkle is dead." Illyria spat savagely, "Her soul destroyed by the fires of my resurrection!" She raised her fist to strike Willow, but Xander jumped in the way.

"Now let's not do anything we'll regret." The young watcher eyed the incredibly powerful fist worriedly. "Like killing me." he added. Back on the floor, Spike let out a groan.

"I would not regret your death." Illyria informed him.

"Well I would." Xander swallowed nervously. "Look. Let's just calm down and I'm sure we could come to some kind of not killing each other agreement." Illyria, mildly impressed with the human's bravery, generously acquiesced. Willow had no desire to do violence in the first place, so she was easy to convince. Spike rolled over onto his back and whimpered.

Xander gestured to the pouf in the middle of the lobby. "Maybe we could sit down and have a nice chat?" Willow stepped over Spike and sat down with a plop. Illyria preferred to stand. "Wonderful." Xander rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Now we're getting somewhere." He looked to the pretty blue one first. "So, Illyria, why do you want to put the big hurting on my pal Will?"

"She keeps referring to me as the shell." She scowled. "It displeases me."

Xander turned to his best friend. "Will? Are you trying to displease the ridiculously powerful hell-god? Need I remind you we don't have a slayer or twenty to help us." He jabbed his thumb where Spike lay. "Just Blondie McUseless whimpering on the floor over there."

Willow glared at Illyria. "If I start talking, Miss Snooty-Pants here will get all, all uppity and attacky." Her gaze turned softer. "Plus, I don't think she'll like what I have to say."

"And that is?" Willow had pensive face. Xander motioned for her to continue. "C'mon now. Don't leave us hanging. Spill."

Willow took a deep breath and began. "Well, 'see it's like this. Energy can't be destroyed, only changed. Right?" Xander nodded, but Illyria did not see the relevance of the witch's statement and said so. Willow thought for a moment, then continued. "Souls are a kind of energy, 'see? That's why, when a person dies, the soul passes on instead of staying put. A soul can't be destroyed. It can be changed, altered, removed even, but not ever destroyed." She focused hard on Illyria." When you took Fred's body, you took everything about her. Mind, body, and soul."

Spike woke up fully expecting to be bitter about being left on the cold hard floor. But was instead floored, metaphorically speaking, by what he just heard. Spike repeated, in an awed whisper, what he said two years ago when Illyria had risen once again. "The body's just a tip of the theological."

-

The room was cold and dark. In the background he could hear the voices. Distant. Alien. Terrifying. They would speak in whispers so that he could not hear their plans, but loudly enough so that he knew when they spoke of him. They would keep to the shadows so that he could not see their form, yet remained visible enough for him to know they were inhuman. They taunted and teased him. Told him things to make him tremble with fear. They spoke of his daughter. His little girl. He begged for her life. He told them he would gladly stay if it would save her. The monsters laughed and laughed. They smiled their terrible hidden smiles, and wondered, in clear and awful voices, if he would realize why he was taken. When he did, the thought sent waves of panic shivering down his spine. He was bait, and there was nothing he could do about it. Keith Mars broke down and wept.


	11. Chapter 11

Angel kicked a rock that was in his way. The rock soon found itself imbedded in a sewer wall. He was pissed. That bitch lied to him! He threatened her with pliers and everything! "Humph!" He sneered "Potential threat' my ass!" Angel dearly wanted to go back to Wolfram and Hart's offices to show Morgan Walker exactly why it was a bad idea to tell him she had no interest in someone, then kidnap said someone's father. But rescuing Keith Mars took precedence over hurting stupid women who didn't understand why they shouldn't piss off vampires. To be fair, he didn't have any proof she was involved, but who else would want to kidnap the father of a potential champion? Other than people he may have angered in his P.I. biz that is. Angel considered the likelihood of this being some kind of revenge thing aimed at Mars Investigation's, but dismissed it as the kidnappers were demons. Having gotten his anger under control, he went up through the sewer entrance of the hotel.

-

The first thing Angel noticed when he entered the basement was the smell of blood. Familiar blood. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could, only to find a disaster area. The floors were cracked, walls had holes in them, and the front counter would never be the same again. But worst of all, Willow was lying on the floor, her face was a bloody mess with her head in Xander's lap as he called 911.

"Oh God! What happened?" the vampire demanded, running up to see if he could help. Xander put his hand up in response and continued telling the emergency operator their location. When he was done he turned a grim eye to his host's worried face.

"Hi Angel. Nice place you have here. I particularly like the front counter. It felt nice and solid when I slammed into it. Good craftsmanship." He looked down at Willow, "There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that Willow is unconscious and bleeding. The good news is it seems to be Fred that did the beating."

Angel was confused. And somewhat angry. "Fred's dead. That was Illyria. But why would she...?" He trailed off, remembering he and Spike's previous conversation concerning the former god king's odd behavior. "What did Willow say to her?" Misinterpreting the question as Angel trying to blame Willow, Xander started to defend her. Angel rephrased the question before the young watcher could get going. "Did Willow call her Fred?"

Xander paused and then, unbelievably, giggled. "Yeah. The first time Will called her that, Ms. Destructo USA took offense and tried to take her out. But instead she got rebounded off of a force field and shot out of that room over there." he gestured to Angel's office, "Then she slammed into Spike at, like, mach 8, knocking him right the frak out."

O.K. That really was funny. Angel would definitely have to remind Spike of it in the future. "Where is he anyway?" he asked, looking around.

"He went off to follow What's-Her-Name to make sure she didn't hurt anyone else."

"Her name's Fred." Willow piped in weakly from the floor.

Xander smiled and stroked her bloody face. "Hey buddy. Quite the scare you gave me. Us." He amended with a quick glance at Angel.

Angel grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't try to move. Xander's called an ambulance, and it should be here any second now."

"Oh. Good. Then I guess it's O.K. if I pass out again?"

Xander shook his head. "Sorry Will. I don't think that's such a hot idea. You might have a concussion. Why don't you amuse Angel with the rousing tale of how you came to be resting so comfortably instead?"

And she did. Apparently, Illyria/Fred didn't take the news of having a soul so well. She lashed out in what Willow called fright. Xander called it: "An angry hissy fit of destruction." Willow theorized that Illyria was scared of what having Fred's soul would mean for her, and lashed out at the messenger. Of course, that meant hitting Willow in the face so fast she couldn't put up a reflective shield. And knocking Xander into a counter. And trying to mash Spike into little pieces when he tried reasoning with her. Then she ran off.

Before Angel could ask any questions, the paramedics arrived. As they loaded Willow into the ambulance, Angel took Xander aside.

"Listen. There's a situation that I could use your help on."

Xander was taken aback. On one hand, it was flattering for someone like Angel to be asking him for help. On the other hand, Willow was hurt and he didn't want to leave her alone. Willow was, of course, more important. "Look, I don't think I can do anything while Willow's hurt. Sorry."

Angel shook his head. "I'm not asking you to leave her by herself. One of my friends is in the hospital too. I'll meet you there so I can explain what's going on. Deal?"

Xander shrugged. "Sure. Why the heck not?"

-

"You know," Wallace started when Veronica came back into his room, "when you went for coffee, I didn't think you meant in Mexico."

"Sorry Wallace. I didn't realize my Dad getting kidnapped would take so long." She replied acidly.

"Woah! What?" That he was not expecting.

"Are you up for leaving the room?" She asked instead of explaining. "We need to go. I'll tell you what's up when everybody's there."

"Everybody who?" Wallace practically begged as he got out of bed. "And where are we going?" Confusion and anxiety were setting in. "You did just say your father got kidnapped, right?"

"Yup. Typical Dad behavior. And my week was going so well too."

Veronica had been through so much in her life, and now she had to deal with this? Screw that! Wallace headed for the door, determined to do everything he could to save Mr. Mars. "Don't worry Veronica. We'll get to the bottom of this."

"That's sweet of you to say Wallace, but don't you think it would be better for us all if you put some pants on first?" Veronica asked him, taking in his patient's gown.

-

Spike kept going over what Willow said in his head while he did his best to track Illyria. Fred was still alive! Merged with an Old One to be more accurate. Still, it was better than "burned in the fires of my resurrection" any day. Spike had only known the lady for a period of four months. And most of that time he was incorporeal. Not exactly a good way to start a friendship. But they did. Spike was touched by how fiercely Fred tried to restore him. They had spent a lot of time together while she worked on a way to fix him. Had a lot of conversations. Angel hated him, Lorne was too busy, Wesley was too wary of him to be friendly, and Gunn flat out didn't trust him. (The less said about Harmony the better.) They didn't go out of their way to be rude, except Angel of course, but they didn't go out of their way to be friends either. Not like Fred. She was the only person who didn't judge him on his reputation. She talked with him like he was a person, and he loved her for that.

Fred was the first person since he DIED he thought of as a friend. As a soulless vampire he was incapable really, of having such attachments. After he got his soul, there was too much bad blood to befriend the Scoobies. He would've liked the opportunity to get to know a few of them. Dawn for one. But he thought it unlikely, what with the threat of waking up on fire and all that. Anya and he could relate to each other on a former evil demons level, but she didn't make it out of Sunnydale. Tara was always looking to the good in people and would've given him a chance, but she died before he got his soul. Fred reminded him of Tara a little. They seemed shy at first, but once you looked past that, you got to see the strength they possessed.

When Illyria consumed Fred, Spike couldn't, in all honesty, remember ever feeling as miserable as he did. Not even when Drusilla left him did he feel so sad. The one good thing he could say about her apparent death was that he regained his appreciation for life. Silly as that sounds, he started to understand what he sang to Buffy that night. What every human instinctively knows: Life is worth living. So he should live.

And he did. To the best of his undead ability. He played his X-box with a renewed vigor. Making Angel's unlife a living hell was merely fun and games before, now it's become a holy quest to make the most of his existence. He's started to enjoy poetry again. Even going so far as to recite some of his own poems live at a biker poetry bar. The biggest change though, is that he has reached a greater understanding of what it is to be a champion. At first it was mostly something he said he was to piss Angel off. But Fred, like Buffy before her, saw in him the potential to be a real one.

Fred once told him why she worked so hard to make him corporeal. She said it was because he was worth saving. Looking at her, he saw that she meant every word of it. Spike will spend the rest of his days trying be worthy of such sentiment.

That day, he saved her life from that spook bastard Pavayne. Spike hoped he could save her again. This time by getting her to accept who and what she is now. A demon with a soul.

Spike smiled as he caught sight of her. He had a little experience with that kind of situation.

-

"Leave vampire. I wish to be alone." Illyria had sensed Spike's presence long before she stopped to stare out over Los Angeles. She was on the rooftop of Wesley's apartment. This was the place he brought her when she became too uncomfortable enclosed in the walls that humanity was so fond of.

He smirked as he walked up next to her. "If that were the case love, I never would have found you." Illyria spun and glared at him. Spike was quick to raise his hands in surrender. "No need for violence, I have absolutely no desire to get pummeled by my best friend."

Illyria froze. He dared to assume intimacy with her? She moved to strike the insolent half-breed. Pet or no, Illyria could not tolerate such an insult. But she held back. She couldn't hit him. Why? Why couldn't she? Had someone been so foolish in the past they, and everyone they knew, would be removed from time itself so as not to offend again. But she could not bring herself to hit Spike? A meager leech worth no more notice and affection than an ant that performed well in it's duties! How low she has become.

And yet ... somehow, she felt ... affinity? She did! She felt affinity for the vampire half-breed! She looked at Spike's face. It was full of concern. For her? There was love, affection, things she only recognized because of the fragments, the memories of Winifred Burkle. An image came, unbridled, of Roger Burkle. He wore the same look as Spike. It was from when she seven and she fell off of the shed in the backyard and broke her leg. Her father picked her up and even though she was hurt, she knew she was going to be all right.

NO! That never happened to her! She was Illyria! Not some worthless, pathetic shell of a girl incapable of containing her essence! Illyria collapsed. That was it. It was then that the soul of this weak creature gained purchase on her being. The diminishing of her power was more destructive than she realized. Without the full fury of Illyria, Fred's soul gained the ability to influence her existence. It was then that she began to look upon the forms of Fred's comrades as though they were anything but inferior. And it was then that she began to see Wesley as more than just her Qwa'ha Xhan.

"You will not make me weak!" She shouted, getting to her feet. "I would kill you first!" And she punched him. But punch she threw was desperate, slow, and Spike was able to dodge it easily.

"Illyria listen to me! I know what you're going through. Me and Angel both. We can help you adjust." Spike deflected another weak blow. "Having a soul doesn't make you weak." He said passionately, "It makes you stronger."

"HOW! How is feeling like this strength?" Illyria demanded, "These emotions, these thoughts? They distract me. Cause me to fail in my desire to kill you."

"Well," Spike said, "can't say I'm to disappointed with that."

Illyria continued to attack him, all the while screaming the inadequacies of mankind. In her rage, she was like a trapped bear. Strong, fast, deadly, and wild. Spike, despite having a clearer head, was being driven back. Truthfully there was little he could do anyway. He didn't want to hit her, and he certainly didn't want to get hit in return. Illyria saw his hesitance, and took advantage of it. Working her way into his defenses and striking him hard. Hard enough that he was knocked over the edge of the roof.

"SPIKE!" She shrieked. Illyria ran over to the edge and her friend hanging on for dear life. Not that the fall would kill him, but it definitely wouldn't tickle.

Spike looked up. "Any help would not be unappreciated."

Illyria did nothing. She simply stared at Spike. A combination of horror and fascination on her face. Then she vanished, leaving Spike to pull himself up. Of course, by the time he managed to do so, she was gone.

Spike lit up a cigarette and headed back to the hotel.


	12. Chapter 12

Andrew Wells has come a long way since being Buffy's "guestage". He's spent the past two and a half years as Giles' apprentice. He's been Luke to his Obi-Wan, Short-Run to his Indie, Robin to his Batman, Seven of Nine to her Janeway. You get the picture. The amazing thing though, is that he's learning. A lot actually. Giles was rather pleasantly surprised to realize inside the debilitatingly nerdy boy, there lay a competent young man. At first Giles felt he received the short end of the stick. That he lost some unspoken game among the Scoobies to see who was stuck with Andrew. It was a ridiculous notion of course. The actual reasoning behind Andrew's apprenticeship with him was because it was decided, by all of the Sunnydale survivors, that Giles would be best suited to discipline the lad into becoming something even remotely resembling a grown up. After all, what else could they do with him but try to make him useful? It wasn't like you could have a person arrested for being a pathetic follower to a lunatic. Or being an unsuspecting and naive dupe of the First Evil. Actually, you could. He had committed terrible crimes under the banner of "Evil Genius", and they would have been quite justified in letting the police handle him. It was just, well he was so sad. He had no place to go, his friends and family were dead, and he really did feel remorse and guilt for all the things he's done.

"It'd be hypocritical to send him to prison!" Willow said, "It's not like we all haven't done stuff to feel bad about."

She was right. And that was that. Andrew would go with Giles to learn to not be useless, and the rest of the gang would go about their merry way. Faith, Robin, and most of the Sunnydale slayers went to Cleveland, Ohio to defend against the hellmouth that was under the public library. Xander went to Africa to study under Sam Zabuto, one of the last living experienced watchers, and together they would search for slayers on the dark continent. Willow and Kennedy went to South America to make contact with Riley's covert ops team and investigate any sightings and rumors of supposed 'amazons' that they may come across.

As for Dawn and Buffy, Buffy promised to show her little sister the world, and she did. Starting with Italy. Rome to be specific. The city was such a beautiful place, with a rich history and plenty of artifacts to tantalize Intellectual-Dawnie, that they considered setting up shop there permanently. Dawn was accepted to a prestigious roman school, and Buffy really liked the the fact that there were crosses all over the place. Soon the Summers sisters settled into a routine of parties, boys, and studies. It was a rich and deserving reward for all the hardships they had endured. Buffy started to date The oh-so-her-type Immortal, and Dawn excelled in her studies while flirting with every boy in sight. All in all, life was good.

Except Buffy wasn't actually there. You see, a few months after the gang split up, an unforeseen situation developed. The untrained, unknown slayers all across the world were starting to disappear. It wasn't like they didn't expect some to die, that was an unfortunate eventuality. What they didn't expect was for slayer's blood to become the biggest thing to hit the demon world since orpheus. The demand was so great, even relatively peaceful demons started doing their very best to get their hands (or whatever they use to grasp things) on some. Makes sense if you think about it. Why would you go after a slayer that knows how to kill you, when there was blood, just as good, in slayers that didn't.

Buffy felt responsible. Those girls would never have become targets of demon blood runners if she didn't activate all the potential slayers on earth. That needed to happen in order to stop the First. Buffy understood that fact, and all she had to do in order to deal with the guilt, was crush the slayer blood cartel into a pasty messy goo. The question was how? The new slayers were too green to handle a mission of this importance. Faith was the only other slayer experienced enough to fight a hellmouth. And there was no way Buffy could go undercover, she was too well known. A description of her was circulating the demon ranks. The description said The Slayer was a blonde woman around five feet, and 110 pounds. Oh and she was american. Vague yes, but it was enough to get the cartel to avoid girls who matched it. Unfortunately, as the Council didn't know who the girls were, they had no way to let them know to dye their hair. So Xander's plan was out. Willow and Dawn headed up the research, while Giles sent all available watchers into the field to find as many slayers as they could. Months went by and still they had no substantial clues or leads. Girls kept disappearing. Xander and the field crews searched none stop to no avail. Willow and the Devon coven just couldn't find them fast enough. Buffy and Faith couldn't find a snitch of Willie's calibre to feed them any useful information. At last, Giles called a meeting of the Scoobies.

"Seven young girls, aged thirteen to seventeen have been reported missing in the last twenty-four hours." Giles began, "All of them have demonstrated an abnormal strength, and a radical change in behavior since May. We are failing these girls, and that must stop." He polished his glasses. "I am open to suggestions."

Tentatively, Andrew raised his hand. "Mr. Giles? I think I have an idea." Giles looked at his apprentice and then polished his glasses again.

"Go ahead." He said in a 'what the heck' kind of way.

"What if Buffy made her whereabouts well known? Like, really well know? The cartel might get overconfident and make a mistake if they think Buffy Summers: Slayer of Slayers was otherwise engaged."

Giles blinked. "That's an excellent idea Andrew." He smiled, "Well done. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

Andrew blushed. "Um. Not yet."

Buffy shook her head. "No. If I do that, I'm out. That's it. I lose my chance to nail these guys."

Faith sneered. "Yeah O.K. Buffy. You putting the hurt on those bastards personally is more important than lives."

Buffy whirled in Faith's direction. "How dare you! I have worked harder to protect those girls than..."

"...The rest of us?" Faith finished.

"That's not what I meant. That's not even what I said. You said it." Buffy countered defensively.

"Sure sounded like the obvious conclusion to me Buffy." Dawn said in a hurt tone.

"No. Dawnie that's not it." she said, frustrated. Her words were being all twisted around. Sorta.

"Then what is it? Don't you trust us to handle it ourselves?"

"Of course I do! You guys are the best there is at what you do!" Andrew nodded approvingly at Buffy's choice of words. "I just need to..."

"...Be in two places at once!" Willow exclaimed.

"Huh?"

Andrew had the look of someone experiencing a great epiphany. "Of course! L.M.D.'s! How could I be so foolish!"

"We can only wonder." Faith muttered under her breath.

"What D.s?" Buffy was getting confused. She seemed to do that quite a bit around the former nerd of doom. "Xander? Splainy."

"Life Model Decoys Buff. Nick Fury uses them to make his enemies think he's somewhere else than he actually is."

Now Giles was confused. "Who?"

Andrew answered with an admiring gleam in his eyes "Nick Fury. Formerly a sergeant in our nation's great military. Elevated to the high-risk role of Head of Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate or S.H.I.E.L.D for short. It's quite fascinating actually. Did you know in 1992 S.H.I.E.L.D. changed their name from ...?"

"Andrew!" GIles interrupted. "Is this Fury person real?"

"Not exactly."

"Then I don't care." The older man seemed to consider, the idea at least, of Buffy being in two places at once. "However, I do rather like your idea of misleading the cartel by having Buffy appear to be making a spectacle of herself. Someplace obvious, well known, but out of the way." Buffy started to say something but Giles cut her off. "I know Buffy. I'm not asking you to sit this out. All we have to do is set up one of the Slayers, one who bears a resemblance to you, in a place like the one I described."

Buffy caught on quick. "So she says she's me and lives it up or makes a mess or something, while I go out and reap some vengencey fun."

"Of course, you'll have to disguise yourself. Just to make sure you aren't recognized." Giles informed her.

Willow was getting into the spirit of things. "Ooh! Maybe we could, y'know, dress her up all skanky and she could get her nose pierced!"

"We can discuss the specifics later. Right now we need to focus on selecting a suitable double for Buffy." Giles went into a long and rather boring speech about how important their current work was, and how the hope of all mankind was resting in their hands. Basically, he was repeating the same speech he used to give back when they were in high school.

Buffy turned to Dawn. "You think I'd look good with a pierced nose?"

Xander overheard the question. "I'm just looking forward to seeing you dressed like a skank."

Willow smiled. "Maybe you could borrow some of Faith's outfits."

"I'm thinking my clothes are a little too big, y'know?" Faith said, comparing her chest to Buffy's. The other slayer narrowed her eyes in response.

"If Buffy doesn't want to, can I borrow them instead?" Dawn asked.

Faith smiled and said yes, Buffy glowered and said no, Willow and Xander's eyes seemed to glaze over at the idea.

-

Pleased with Andrew's progress, Giles eventually sent him on field missions. Such as recovering the psychologically deranged slayer Dana from the hands of Angel and Wolfram and Hart. Andrew's success in that endeavor proved to Giles that the young man could be trusted to handle even more delicate matters. He was placed in charge of coming up with a cover story for Buffy's double. At last he was in his element: Fiction. He did all the research he could on Rome, the place he decided would be best suited to place her. It was perfect. Too holy for demons, but too powerful for them to ignore. It was when he started looking into the cities most famous resident (No, not the Pope) that he came up with the greatest idea ever. Buffy would date The Immortal. He was the demon equivalent of a celebrity. Except that no-one really knew what he looked like. He has never been photographed, he doesn't grant personal interviews, and he has respectfully declined the guest of honor position at the annual International Evil Demons for World Domination and Terror convention 57 years in a row. If The Slayer were to start dating him, the whole entire underworld would stand up and gossip.

Buffy and the Scoobies left immediately to arrange everything. First of all, they had to get rid of The Immortal and set up a double. It was surprisingly easy despite his name and reputation. Once that was done, the Not-Buffy came in and drove the underworld to a frenzy with her Paris Hilton like antics. The real Buffy left to go under cover, Xander went back to Africa to finish his field training, Willow went back to meet with Riley and Kennedy, and Faith went back to the hellmouth. Dawn and Andrew stayed in Rome to put the finishing touches on their little facade. Dawn trained Not-Buffy in all things Buffy, and Andrew made sure everything continued to run smoothly.

His first real test came when Angel and Spike showed up in Rome looking for Buffy. He was able to get Not-Buffy out of the apartment and Dawn cast a little glamor to fool the vampire noses into thinking Buffy really lived there. Then she ran out of the apartment before she could laugh in their faces and blow her and Andrew's cover. That left the nervous little nerd to handle two lovesick idiots who just happen to be vampires. He did beautifully. The titanic two-o left in a bitter and hilarious huff, and Andrew was given an autographed Boba Fett statue from Gentile Giant Collectables. Life was good.

Fast forward one year. Buffy's undercover investigations turned up some promising leads in L.A. Unfortunately she wasn't in a position to follow them up. Xander, who was recovering from tragic events in Africa, volunteered to go in her stead. Buffy agreed, and called Angel to make sure it was all right if Xander could stay with him. Willow, not wanting to leave her best friend alone to deal with stuff, came along too. Which leads us to how Willow got hurt by a God King in denial, and Xander was asked to help investigate the kidnapping of the father of a potential champion.

-

By the time Spike made it to Gunn's hospital room, the party had already begun. Veronica was in mid exposition. Willow was half conked due to the drugs she was given for her broken nose, and Angel had already gone into a full fledged brood. The rest of the gang, Xander, Gunn, and that Wallace kid, were listening with rapt attention. Except in Wallace's case, it was more like deep seething anger. Spike supposed it was because his best friend's dad just got himself nabbed by some big bad beasties. 'Definitely have to keep an eye on that one.' the vampire thought to himself, 'He looks just like Harris before he does something stupid.' He then focused his attention on Veronica, who has finished her side of the story, and was now demanding to know why DEMONS would be kidnapping her dad.

It was Angel who answered her. He was leaning against the far wall with his arms folded across his chest. "You and your friend Wallace are potential champions."

"What the hell does that mean?" Wallace demanded. Veronica remained silent.

"Just like it sounds. The two of you have the potential to do great things to champion the cause for humanity in the fight against the forces of darkness."

Wallace seemed to take it all in stride. "Forces of darkness huh?' Sounds cool. When do we get our secret decoder rings?" Maybe not. "Are all of you are crazy!"

Willow giggled and said, "Decoder." Then she fell asleep.

"Yeah O.K." Xander carefully adjusted Willow so she wouldn't fall out of her chair. Then he stood up and walked up to Wallace. The young man glared at him, while Veronica looked on. An expression of deep thought on her face.

"What do you want Captain Jack? You got something to say?"

"Yep. Two things. First? Xander. Not Jack. Second..." Xander took off his eye-patch and looked Wallace dead in the eye. "You have to earn your decoder rings. We can't just hand them to you. It would cheapen it for the rest of us." Veronica and Wallace just stared at the scarred empty socket. After a few moments, Xander put the patch back on. "I trust I have your attention?" The teens nodded. Xander smiled. "Good. Back to you Angel."

The vampire took in the kids shocked faces. "Nice." He said sarcastically.

The watcher just shrugged. "Worked didn't it?"

Angel sighed and continued his explanation. "The truth is, I don't really know why they took your dad. All I have right now are theories."

Now this is what Veronica was waiting for. "What kind of theories?"

Gunn spoke up. "It's safe to assume this all started the night of my assault. My assailants used a spell called 'Champions Bane' on me." Gunn went on the explain the effects of the spell on it's target, and how it confused Veronica causing her to misread her map.

"Spells?" Wallace was incredulous. "Monsters and demons are one thing. Now you expect us to believe in magic too?"

Veronica put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Wait till they're finished O.K.?" He nodded.

Gunn told them how they used the thermometer to determine Veronica and Wallace were potential champions.

"I knew that thing was shady. You owe me a Diet Coke." Veronica told her friend smugly. Despite the situation, Wallace rolled his eyes in amusement.

Gunn then told them how the person who sold the thermometer also sold them out to Wolfram and Hart. Angel repeated what Morgan Walker said to him. That the law offices had no further interest in the pair.

Xander looked surprised. "You don't actually believe them do you?"

Gunn answered first. "It's not inconceivable that Walker would be telling the truth."

"You did work there for a year right?" Spike asked.

"Yeah. And because I did, I know that sometimes the head doesn't always know what the body's doing." Gunn gave an example. "Like the time the surveillance team took it upon themselves to kill the subject they were surveilling. They were bribed by an opposing law firm." He gave a great sigh. "We didn't even know what happened until four days later."

Veronica processed this new information. "You're saying that this Morgan lady may have no interest in us, but her subordinates might?" Gunn and Angel nodded. "But that's just one theory. What else you got?"

Xander looked at the kids. Because they were still kids in his mind. He did not want to tell them this, but they deserved honesty. "Demons have their own everything. Tentacle porn, karaoke bars, restaurants, black market, and drugs. There's a drug out there called 'Innocents'. This drug is distilled from stolen souls of kids."

Veronica looked horrified. Wallace looked like he wanted to throw up. "But we aren't kids." He told them when he recovered.

"But you are would-be champs." Spike reminded them. "Drugs made from that kind of soul would make the seller very rich." Veronica wanted to know how you could take a soul from a living person. "Magic. It's not all wands and words children. It's deadly and dangerous. In the wrong hands, it's worse then any ten weapons of mass destruction."

"I can't handle this." Wallace said. "This is too much."

"Oh God!" Veronica suddenly exclaimed. "Wallace and me are both potential champions, right?" Angel nodded. "And they took my dad to get to me, right?"

"In theory." He replied.

"Then what's stopping them from taking his mom too?"

-

Alicia Fennel walked into the front door of her house. Darrel in one hand, a bag of groceries in the other. "Come on Baby," she said to her youngest, "let's get you something yummy to eat, all right?"

Sounded good to him. "All right."

-

Wallace ran out of the room, Veronica right after him.

-

"Let's see what we have here." She started to put her groceries away. "We have, ooh we have apples. Mmmm. Can you spell apple sweetie?"

-

The door to Wallace's room slammed open as he headed straight for his bag.

-

"I can spell it Momma." he told her proudly. "A-P-P-L-E." Alicia cheered for her son's accomplishment.

"Good job Darrel!"

-

Frantically, Wallace tore through it looking for his cell phone. He pulled it out.

-

"Momma?"

"Yes honey?" She was preparing the apple.

"Did you hear a noise?" Alicia stopped cutting.

-

Because of his cast, he was having trouble getting it to work. Veronica pulled out her cell phone, but it had no power left.

-

"You know, I think I did." Alicia set her knife on down on the counter, "Stay there O.K. baby?" She walked out into the living room to check things out.

-

Wallace finally turned it on, and he started dialing. "Come on. Come on!"

-

Alicia gave a start when her phone started to ring.

-

"Pick up the phone Mom, please." He whispered.

-

On the way to answer it, she noticed her son wasn't in his chair.

"Darrel? Baby?" She walked back to the kitchen.

-

"Dammit Mom! PICK UP!"

-

In the living room, the phone continued to ring.

And ring.

And ring.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hello, You've reached Logan with today's inspirational message. 'Never pretend to a love which you do not actually feel, for love is not ours to command.' Alan Watts. beep

"Logan? It's me, I need your help. Get to Wallace's house and check on his mom. I think she might be in trouble. Call me as soon as you get there O.K.?"

Veronica hung up her phone, and turned to Wallace with a teary expression. They were back in Gunn's room. Angel and Spike went out looking for clues and information at the local bars, while Xander tended to a still drug-happy Willow.

Wallace stared back at her. disbelief all over his face.

"So that's it? That's your big plan, call Logan?" He shook his head in frustration. "That's not good enough Veronica!"

"Wallace..." Veronica started.

"NO! That's my mom and my brother and you expect Logan to help?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Veronica asked, offended on behalf of her boyfriend.

"It means I'm not sitting here on my ass, while some rich white boy goes looking for my mom!"

Gunn threw in his two cents. "Well, you can't do much else." Wallace glared at the attorney. "You got a broken arm, you don't know where the kidnappers are, and even if you did, you wouldn't have the first idea how to stop them."

Wallace wasn't hearing reason. "I'd find a way. It's my family."

"It's my family too. Or did you forget whose father started this trend?" Veronica reminded him.

"Then why the hell are we just standing here! We gotta do something!"

"We are. We're waiting. The last thing we need to do is lose our calm. If we do, then we end up making mistakes. Fatal ones." Veronica sighed wearily. "I'm not really a big fan of this idea either, but we don't have enough information to do anything yet. We don't even know if the ones who kidnapped Alicia are the same... things," she spat out bitterly, "who got my dad." Veronica put on a brave face and tried to reassure Wallace. "Heck, we don't know that anythings even wrong. Maybe your mom just went out and forgot her cell phone. That's why I called Logan. If he can confirm or deny, we'll have more info to work with."

Gunn nodded. "Lady's right. We need more information before we can do anything serious."

Wallace shook his head. "Maybe you do." He stormed out of the room. Veronica went after him.

"Wallace!" He stopped, but didn't look at her. "You can't go."

At that, Wallace turned. "Since when do I need your damn permission!" he raged. "Who the hell are you to tell me I can't go!"

Veronica grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against the wall. "I'm your best friend, you jackass! And If anything happened to you..." Tears were freely falling from her eyes as Veronica let him have it. "If my dad dies, you'll be the only family I have left." She pulled him into a desperate hug. "So you have to stay, because I can't lose you too."

Wallace said nothing. After a long moment, he returned the hug, clinging to her just as desperately.

-

"Aw hell. Not you! You wrecked my goddamn bar!"

Angel smirked when he heard Sammy curse. "C'mon Sammy, hasn't it been long enough? Are we just going to continue living in the past?"

Sammy the Bartender, owner of Sam's Bar just glared at his unwelcome guest. He was an older man of around sixty, with white hair and a cheerful face. He looked like the kind of guy you'd want to be your grandpa. "That's rich coming from someone wearing clothes that were fashionable in the late nineties."

The vampire frowned and looked down at his outfit. "I thought I looked cool." He muttered to himself. Clearing his head, Angel went up to the bar. "I didn't come here to discuss my shirt. I want to know what you know about Innocents."

Sammy paled. "All I know is that it's just about the worst thing I have ever heard of! It's one thing killing a man, it's another thing taking his baby's soul." He looked around, as if they weren't alone. "The pushers like to work outside my bar. They ain't there now, but they usually show up around 1:00 in the morning. I don't know what they got, but it probably won't hurt to ask."

"I think it will." Angel smiled darkly. Sammy was glad that he wasn't the focus of the vampire's attention this time. "What do they look like?"

"They wear white hoodies. It's like their open for business sign. Oh, and they're Thesolo demons."

Angel's dark expression quickly transformed into alarm. "Thesolo demons have four arms. And they breath fire."

Sammy shook his head in sympathy. "I guess you're right. It will hurt to ask."

-

Xander had put Willow down so she could sleep the effects of the drugs off. He didn't know why his best friend had such a severe reaction. Her skin was pale and clammy. She developed a fever that had nothing to do with her injuries. While she was given vicodin, it was only 500 mg. Willow was given similar medication after she suffered head trauma during her first attempt at restoring Angel's soul. It didn't knock her for a loop that time. O.K. Maybe a little, but it was a cute loopiness. Full of endearing babbles and lovable confusion. Not the 'I'm-sleeping-and-won't-wake-up-because-I-like-to-make-Xander-panic' sort, that she was so blatantly enjoying now. Xander performed a little trick he learned in Africa. It was very minor diagnostic spell meant to aid the healer, kind of like a magical X-ray, to determine if the patient was suffering from mystical, or natural injuries. If they glowed blue, they were all naturale. Red meant mystical and a whole slew of unfunny. Xander prayed for blue.

Willow glowed red.

"Oh God." Xander pulled out his cellphone. "Giles? Willow's been poisoned. Yes I'm sure. I did the X-ray spell thingie and got a redness that has nothing to do with her hair." He checked her pulse. "It's steady, but slow. Uh--huh. Cold and clammy, that's right. She's pale too." He smiled ruefully. "Paler than usual anyway." He pulled out her prescription. "Yeah, it says vicodin." He opened the bottle and looked inside. "I'm supposed to know what vicodin looks like how now?" Xander shook a pill out, and described it to Giles. "Oval. Kinda pink, with a touch of green." He pulled his head away from the phone as Giles blasted him for not taking this seriously. "Giles! This is Willow. How can I not be taking this seriously? It a pinky-green pill. Seriously." Xander listened to what Giles had to say. His face fell. "I understand. I know it's tough to figure out something like this over the phone. I'll mail you a sample of her blood and a pill. Keep me posted. Bye." He hung up and sat down next to her.

"Come on Will," he whispered, taking her hand, "you promised me you wouldn't leave me alone until I got over Africa." Xander brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. "Don't be a liar. I'll have to set your pants on fire. And really, nobody wants that. Except Faith. Faith might want that. But she doesn't get a say, so screw her. Just not literally. Or maybe literally. She is ridiculously hot. And you're always telling me I need to get back on the horse. Although I don't think Faith is the horse you meant."

Xander continued to ramble aimlessly about everything and nothing.

-

Spike had ditched Angel a while ago. He figured the old man could handle shaking down a few stoolies on his own while Spike did his best to track down Illyria. Seeing as she has no scent and an untold era of practice being stealthy, he didn't have much luck. Also, it was day. Still, it wouldn't do to get discouraged. She was alone out there with the memories of a life the creature Illyria couldn't understand, and the experiences of an existence too alien for the mortal soul of Fred to handle. All in all, she could do with about two bottles of Jack, and a good cry. Now only if he could find her.

-

After Angel left, Sammy wiped the sweat off his forehead and poured himself a stiff drink.

**"Good work Sammy, nobody messes with Thesolo demons." **The voice came from behind him, and the bartender's drink fell to the floor.

"Jeez! You got any particular reason for scaring me all the time?"

The demon smiled a horrible smile, full of sharpened and yellow teeth. **"It's fun."**

"Yeah well, fun's over. You don't wanna mess with that vampire believe me."

**"We aren't. What we're after has nothing to do with him."**

Sammy laughed. "Yeah O.K. You guys deal in Innocents, right? So what the heck do you think we were talking about?" The fearsome demon let out a soft growl. One that promised a painful conclusion to this conversation. "Listen." Sammy said quickly. "The guy can hear my heartbeat! I couldn't exactly lie to his face. Besides, all your guys gotta do is say they don't know nothing about nothing, and he'll leave." The barkeep thought for a moment. "It would probably go better if they give him some information. On one of your competitors maybe. That way, he'll go take care of them, instead of you."

**"You told him we used Thesolos, what makes you think he'll be back?"**

The tired old man sat down at his bar and poured another drink for himself. "He's a champion." He caught site of his reflection on the bar's wall mirror.

**"And when he arrives to see no Thesolos? What then?"**

"Then your guys get beat up, maybe killed, and if they do their jobs right, Angel will take out some of your competition."

The demons smiled again. **"I like the way you think human. It proves to me again and again that letting you live was the right idea."**

Sammy downed another drink. "In that case, happy to be of help." He got up from his barstool, unable to look himself in the face any longer.

-

Angel walked down a darkened alley to shield himself from the afternoon sun. The vampire was quite aware Sammy lied to him. Thesolos won't work for anyone other than themselves. They were too brutal and proud. Sammy was as knowledgeable as any watcher when it came to demon behavior. It came from surviving thirty years as a proprietor of a demon bar. One had to know how demons behaved, especially if one was human. So the question became: Why did Sammy tell Angel what he did? Was he just naming the first demon to come to mind, or did he mention them on purpose? He had to know that Angel wouldn't believe him. The old man was too smart not to. He was behaving oddly as well. A little paranoid. You wouldn't really notice it unless you've spent the last couple of hundred years causing just such a reaction from people.

Angel pulled out his cell phone and called the hotel. Xander picked up. "How's Willow?" He let out a subtle growl upon hearing her condition. "Do you need me to come over?" Angel opened a sewer cover. "Listen, the reason I called was to ask if you knew anything more about the demons running the drug ring." He started down the latter, pulling the cover over him. "Do you know if they use Thesolos for pushers?" As he listened to Xander's answer, an annoyed expression came over his face. "Yeah, I know they breath fire. Do you know what kind of demons they do use?" Angel's face turned ugly. "They use humans? How do you know?" He was surprised at the answer. "Buffy told you? But how would she ...? What do you mean ' It's classified?" He rolled his eyes. "I know the definition of the word Xander. No, I get it. 'Mission Impossible.' But you don't have to sound so happy about my being in the dark. I can hear you smirking. Knock it off." Angel told Xander to call Gunn. If anybody knew of a way to get Willow some help, it would be him, then he hung up the phone and tried to call Spike. When the call wouldn't go through, he looked down at he screen. "No signal?" He glared at the phone as if it personally offended him. "Stupid piece of crap."

-

Illyria stared out over Los Angeles. She stood, undisguised, atop a look out point outside of the city. Her odd appearance caused some of the tourist to look at her instead of the beautiful vista before them. A pair of foolish young men came up to her.

"Lonely?" The first one asked. "Because if you are, my friend and I could keep you company."

The second one guffawed. "Yeah, absolutely."

Illyria turned and faced her two admirers. "Leave me. For if you do not, then I shall be forced to suffer the unpleasantness of hearing your screams as you fall from this summit."

They looked at her for a second. The first one smiled, clearly amused. "Hah!" he laughed. "You're funny."

The second one seemed a bit more intelligent. "I don't think she's joking."

The first one looked at her, I mean really looked at her, and quickly changed his opinion.

"Yeah. O.K. Sorry to bother you. Have fun. Bye." He said, said quickly as he and his friend hurried away.

Illyria turned back to the city with just a hint of satisfaction.


	14. Chapter 14

Logan sat in his shiny new not banana colored Range Rover and stared at the cellphone in his hands. He scratched the back of his head as he played with the cord of his charger. When he turned on the phone, he'd been happy to see that Veronica had finally called. Not that he was waiting around for her or anything. He just missed her, that's all. Logan laughed to himself. Of course the reason for her call would be badness. She's Veronica Mars. And he, the ever dutiful boyfriend, will go to yon Wallace's house to rescue his fair mother.

Logan put his car in gear and pulled out of the Neptune Grand. Dialing as he drove, Logan whistled a jaunty tune.

Back in LA, Veronica jumped as her cellphone chirped out the opening riff to "Free Bird." They were back in Gunn's room as he spoke on the phone with Xander about Willow's condition. Veronica had been very interested in hearing about a real live curse and it's equally interesting potential remedies. Of course, she couldn't actually hear what Xander was saying, but she could get a good idea based on Gunn's responses. Thankfully, he knew of some people that could help. She had been intently following Gunn's side of the conversation and so, was startled by Logan's call.

Wallace raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes at her own jumpiness. Veronica mouthed 'Logan' to him and motioned for him to follow her out of the room. His eyes grew wide with the thought of finally getting some kind of word about his mom. He nodded his head and went after her.

"Logan?" She asked in greeting.

"Hello darling." Logan answered smartly. "How's the vaycay?"

Veronica smiled at his voice. It was good to hear it. "I'll call you back in a minute. The nurses told me I can't use my phone inside the hospital." Then she hung up.

It was a testament to his concern that Wallace didn't laugh at Veronica's mean trick. The pair made their way out of the hospital and into the parking lot, away from all the delicate instruments that, hypothetically, could be disrupted by cellphone signal. It was irritating, but going out to answer her phone was the only way she would be allowed in the building for when Angel or Spike showed up with information. On the other hand, she would have to stay outside incase the kidnappers called again. Nothing was ever easy.

When they got outside, Veronica called Logan back and put the phone on speaker.

"What are you doing in a hospital?!" Logan practically shouted. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm fine." Once she heard how worried he was, Veronica felt like a bitch for hanging up like that. Convenient, because Logan was pretty much thinking the same thing.

"Oh my God Veronica. What the hell?" He was seriously pissed off at her.

"Sorry. I'm fine. I just... I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." she repeated. "If it makes you feel any better, I got a big ass bruise on my face."

"It does actually. Saves me the trouble doing it myself." He told her sardonically. Logan asked what happened again.

Veronica's face grew pinched as she condensed the events of that night. "Wallace and I got mugged and he was hurt while defending my honor."

"Is he all right?" Logan was just starting to like the kid too.

Veronica nodded. "Yeah, he's a big ol' engine of endurance. My boy Wallace stood up to two pillars of rippling man-strength and walked away with only a broken arm." She gave her friend a wink. Wallace puffed up a little and thumped his chest with his good hand.

"That's ... nice?" Logan really wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"It is." Veronica agreed. "Are you at Wallace's yet?"

"Uh... Sweetie? I don't know how to get there. That's why I called you."

"Oh." Veronica was nonplussed. For some reason, she just assumed Logan already knew that information. She told him the address.

They chatted idly about nothing in particular while Logan drove. Veronica was purposely omitting the fact her dad was also in danger. If her boyfriend knew Keith was missing, he would break as many speeding laws there were in order to get to her. He would want to help. She appreciated it, but Veronica felt he would be safer if he stayed in Neptune. It wasn't really logical, considering what happened to Alicia, but she doesn't want him around when Angel and Spike do their hero thing. It's bad enough putting up with a headstrong and insanely worried best friend, but adding a boyfriend who is equally headstrong and insane? Yeah, you put the three of them in a room together and see who comes out alive. (Veronica, in case you were wondering. It's all about the shovel people.) Keeping Wallace from charging headlong into danger was already a battle. One she didn't want to fight on two fronts. Yes, Logan was very much better off where he was.

Wallace listened in on their breezy conversation for a bit. "Y'know, I just about lost my mind worrying my mom and my brother, and we don't even know if they're missing yet. But here you are, knowing for a fact your dad's kidnapped, and acting like it ain't no thing." It was kinda scary how she could do that.

Veronica gave Wallace a very dirty look and braced for the inevitable explosion.

"KIDNAPPED?!!!" Logan shouted.

"Thanks a bunch Wallace." she muttered, and fessed up the 411 about her dad.

-

'I should let him burn. I really should.' Angel thought to himself as he smirked down upon the unconscious and rather beaten form of Spike. It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and soon, the sun would rain it's glorious light throughout the ally he and his fellow champion occupied. If Spike didn't wake up soon, he would catch fire. The older vampire didn't know why the younger vampire was lying face down in a pile of garbage, and, for that moment at least, he didn't care. The only thing Angel concerned himself with was trying to figure out how to get the camera on his cellphone to work.

After a few seconds of frantic trial and error, Angel was rewarded with the satisfying sound of a simulated shutter snapping. He went up to Spike in order to wake him up. Fun is fun, but there was work to be done.

"Spike." He poked at him. "Spike." He poked at him some more. "Spike!" Angel sighed and again looked down at his... Well he wasn't sure exactly how one would define his relationship with Spike. Respectfully antagonistic would probably be a good way. Angel looked down at his antagonist. He seriously considered letting the sun wake him up. It's happened before, and there was shelter nearby, so it wasn't like he would dust. He'd give it one more try.

"SPIKE!" Angel kicked him. That did the trick. And it was satisfying.

"OW! Quit it!" The vampire winced at the sudden movement his rude awakening caused. "Son of a bitch!" Spike glared at Angel. "Thanks for that, ass."

He glared right back. "Sorry Spike. Next time I'll just let the sun do my work for me."

Looking around, Spike seemed to realize where he was. He looked up at the bright afternoon sky.

"Bloody hell! That sun's about to kill me!" He scampered, yes scampered, over to where Angel had taken refuge. He sneered at Angel. "Oh what are you smirking at?"

"You have an orange peel on your head." Angel gleefully reported.

Spike knocked it off, and grumbled a bit. "It's not like this is a regular occurrence y'know. I have my dignity."

Angel let out a snort of disbelief, but his demeanor soon turned serious as he got down to business. "What happened anyway?"

Spike leaned against the wall of the doorway they were in. "Illyria." He watched as Angel turned around and started messing with the door next to them. "I found her." Spike let out an indignant sound. "I go through all that trouble to find the girl/hellgoddess, bring her some quality liquor, and she belts me. Saying how she's better than me and that I insult her very existence." He was really getting into it now. "I told her: 'I don't care what you think. I'm your friend.' Then I show her the booze to prove it, and she hits me again! Can you believe it? I thought chicks loved all that solidarity bull." He looked out toward the ally. "No idea how I ended up here though." When Angel didn't respond, Spike looked back to where he was, to find an open door. "Hey! Wait!" He hurried after him.

When Spike caught up, Angel brought him up to speed. "This building used to be a demon brothel, so it has sewer access." He opened up a hatch and headed down it.

"Brothel, huh? I'll bet you never even thought of treating yourself, did you?" Spike nodded understandingly. "Probably too depressed to get it up."

"At least I was never ... impotent."

The blonde vampire glared at his sire. "That was courtesy of your damn government!"

"Not mine, I'm Irish. Remember?" Angel shot back breezily. Spike resisted the urge to sulk, and managed to ask where they were headed without sounding like a petulant child. "Wolfram and Hart."

Spike's eyes lit up. "Well, won't that be fun."

-

Morgan Walker marched into her office. Her face was buried in her carefully organized files. All of which flew into the air with a terrified shout as she caught sight of one half of the Scourge of Europe. Angel was, once again, in her chair. Spike was wistfully admiring the sunny view.

"Gotta say love, I miss the necrotempered glass. Hell of a thing." He looked over to her. "It'd be a shame to put you through it."

Doing her level best not to panic, Morgan walked backwards toward her door. "I'll ... I'll have my people make up an order for you."

The door slammed shut. She whirled around, slipping on her paperwork and landing on her backside. Angel smiled down at her while leaning on said door. "Gee, that's really swell of you."

"Yeah," Spike agreed, "but I'd rather have the Viper." He told the terrified woman as he walked up to her. He crouched down over her. "So why don't you just hand me those keys, and I promise not to kill you."

"You crashed the Viper!" Angel reminded him. His tone clearly indicated he was still sore over it.

Spike arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, like six of em. So? You ALWAYS had more."

"The ... the ... k..keys for the V...Viper are in the g..garage." Morgan informed them weakly.

She was backhanded for her trouble. "I know that you silly twat!" Her face hit the carpeted floor with a crack. She let out a racked sob.

Angel was shocked. Ok. Not really. But he didn't want to get into the hitting just yet. He grabbed Spike by the elbow and pulled him up. "What the hell are you doing?" He demanded loudly. Might as well take advantage. It's a sad, twisted world with Angelus as the good cop.

Of course, that just means more fun for Spike. "Stay out of it you big browed berk! That bitch lied to you, and you were too stupid to catch on!" He pointed down to the crying woman. "She's responsible for the whole damn mess!" Spike shrugged out of Angel's grip and pulled Walker up off the floor by her hair. "It's her fault that Willow's sick! It's her fault that the girl's father's kidnapped! And it's her goddamn fault that Gunn's in the hospital!" With each declaration, Spike shook her roughly, until her hair actually ripped from her scalp, and she fell to the floor again.

The vampires looked down at her. Spike glanced at the hair still in his hands and dropped them. A look of vague disgust on his face. "Girl needs better conditioner." He muttered aloud.

Morgan watched as her hair fell to the ground. She felt her bloody scalp and an expression of hate formed on her face. She was done pretending. "I'll kill you both for this you, miserable fucks!" She rose from the floor with an almost tangible fury. Her eyes turned dark, and her voice deepened. "Do you think I'm some whimpering little girl?" Lightning danced around her fingertips. "I'm the goddamned CEO of Wolfram and fucking Hart, you idiots!"

Angel rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Then he punched her in the gut. She fell like wet doll, gasping and wheezing for air. He grabbed her harshly by the cheeks. "We know you're a witch. We know how powerful you are, but we don't care." Angel vamped out, and pulled her so close, she could smell the blood on the breath he used to speak. "We've been killing little witches like you since the industrial revolution."

Spike leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Oh my. The bad old days are here again."

That was the last thing she remembered before the bag was placed over her head.

-

Veronica went to the Hyperion Hotel. She wanted to talk with Xander. Wallace stayed behind because; a) He wasn't discharged from the hospital, b) Someone needed to stay behind incase Angel and Spike showed up, and c) She was really, really pissed at him. That last one was primarily the reason for Wallace's not being here. It was his fault that Logan was coming. Veronica had been unsuccessful in dissuading her boyfriend from rushing to her aid. Wallace is the sweetest and most loyal guy-friend a girl could want, but it was times like this that she really missed Lily. She would have know to keep her stupid trap shut. Instead she's going to have to put up with the Logan/Wallace variety hour. Each madcap episode will be devoted to not listening to a word she says, followed by some juggling, ending with anger, frustration and panic as her best friend and her boyfriend fight with her over the right to get themselves killed by monsters. Plus a surprise guest appearance by Dad: The Corpse! Sonny and Cher ain't got nothing on her boys.

She lost her train of thought when she caught sight of the hotel. Her first impression was that it must have been beautiful in it's prime. Veronica walked through the front doors and into the lobby. She stared at the pentagram that was unsuccessfully covered by a rug.

"That's... interesting." And creepy. Can't forget the creepy. Veronica tore her eyes from the unsettling pattern and looked around at the rest of the lobby. She took note of the exits, and wandered into what she assumed was Angel's office. The place was a mess. Papers, open books, discarded files, whiskey bottles, and weapons("Holy crap, does that look sharp!"), just lying everywhere. Not to mention all the dust causing her to sneeze worst than a kid with a cold. When she recovered, Veronica started to peruse some of the documents that were lying around. It was very intriguing. They were all about weird cases, and the labels made no sense whatsoever. Here're some examples. French lady with toupee. Angry octopus demony-thing. David Nabbit ('The computer guy?'). Really ugly thing-beast with violent hair. The biggest file was simply entitled: Visions. She opened it up. The first thing in the folder was a photograph of Angel with a group of people.

They weren't in the hotel, but somebody's apartment. A woman's by the look of it. She recognized Gunn right of the bat, but had no clue who the others were. No wait, that was a lie. She also recognized the nurse that planted the thermometer. This must be Angel Investigations. Veronica picked the photo up. They looked so happy. A pretty brunette with a gorgeous smile was linked arm-in-arm with Gunn. He made a silly face for the camera while she was staring fondly at a pompous, but gentle looking man in glasses. Glasses smiled back at her. He and the nurse, Fred, were sitting side-by-side on the left. Glasses had his arm around her shoulder while she giggled uncontrollably at Gunn's face. Angel was just off to the right. He was smiling too, but it felt sad somehow. Everybody in the picture was touching someone else, except Angel. His hands were in his pockets. Standing separate from everyone.

"The one with the smile is Cordelia." Xander said from the doorway. Veronica nearly had a heart attack. She was so caught up in the picture, she'd forgotten the reason why she came. Veronica glared a slayer-worthy glare at Xander. "Wow. That's ... terrifying. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I heard sneezing and came to investigate." He made no move to enter the office. He just leaned against the door frame.

Veronica scowled at him. "You should really make some noise when you walk. It wouldn't hurt to whistle or something." Xander shrugged in a 'whatever' kind of way. "Did you know her?" she asked, referring to his initial statement.

He smiled a little sadly himself. "Yeah. We used to date back in high school."

"What about the man in glasses?"

Xander's smile turned a little wicked. "Him I did NOT date back in high school."

Veronica smiled back at him. "What's his name?" she clarified.

"Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. He was Buffy's watcher for like, five minutes. He bit off more than he could chew, and it bit him back worse. I never would have guessed he'd wind up working for Angel. The guy was a serious weeny, but he turned out O.K. in the end."

Veronica stared at the picture for a few more minutes. She placed it reverently on the desk, and turned to Xander. "Can we talk?"

He nodded. "Sure, but you have to shower first. I smelled you before I saw you." Veronica blinked. Then sniffed under her arm. She was not pleased. "You can use the one in Willow's room."

-

Gunn was ready to get out of the hospital, for real. Screw those doctors. He'd be fine. They didn't know about his enhancements. Wolfram and Hart augmented his mind, but that last battle behind the hotel proved it wasn't enough. Gunn would not have survived if Illyria hadn't decided she would grieve for him as she did Wesley. The god-king had picked up his wounded body and thrown it into the Hyperion, where he lay until the battle was over. His wounds healed, but the fact that he was taken out so quickly rankled. Gunn needed an edge. He needed someway to keep up with the high level baddies that he seemed to now be fighting. So he used his contacts to find a black market doctor. The kind who patched up mobster demons when they got hurt. The kind that Wolfram and Hart trained. He found one. Doctor Oliver Wilson.

Wilson knew how do perform the procedures that Gunn wanted. Money wasn't an issue since he didn't ask for any. All the good doctor wanted was an eye. Gunn's eye. The eye of a mortal champion. Lose an eye and gain superpowers? Or tell the doc to screw off and accept the way he was.

It wasn't a hard choice. With his new power, Gunn was able to defend LA against demons that even Angel would have trouble with. He had advanced healing, strength, agility, and durability. The only thing that suffered was his aim. Without his eye, he had no depth perception. He could live with it. Gunn focused, not just on demons, but on crime as well. Batmaning his way through the old neighborhood, and doing what he could to help Anne's shelter in his off times.

Life was good. He didn't need Angel. He didn't need anyone but himself. But then came reports of a vampire matching Spike's description tearing throats out all the way up and down the bad part of town. He tracked down the one man who knew Spike better than Spike knew himself. Angel.

Gunn took that as a good sign. He knew he could take Spike, but he needed help finding the bastard, so he went out and got it. He didn't get arrogant. He didn't try to do it alone first. He put saving the lives of other people over his own pride, and he was proud of that.

Still, when he and Angel found Spike, he wasn't the one who took him out. It was Spike who did it. A different Spike came out of nowhere and staked the one they were fighting. It turned out to be an augmented clone. One programmed to follow the whim of a mad scientist. Fun. They took care of it. Gunn wasn't happy he got beaten by a clone, but he excepted it. Gunn felt that was also a good sign.

The group ended up fighting an augmented clone of every single member of Angel Investigations that had been to Wolfram and Hart. Himself, Fred, Wesley, Lorne, and Angel. They managed to win. Angel's clone was too good a copy. He refused to do the work of his master, and killed him. Destroying himself in the process.

Crises over, the gang went their separate ways again. Angel took off. Spike in the opposite direction. Lorne went back to his talent agency. Illyria vanished. The vampires and Gunn traded cellphone numbers in case they needed to get in touch.

Gunn didn't call. Not until the other night. He was on a routine patrol when he saw two bloodsuckers stalking prey. Gunn leapt into action, but it was a trap. The new CEO of Wolfram and Hart seemed to think that he knew some valuable information and two vamps were tougher than they looked. After a few moments, Gunn started to get confused. He wasn't sure what he was doing. He knew he wanted to fight the demons in front of him, but they were too quick all of a sudden. He managed to get away for a few seconds to call for some backup. The vamps were faster and stronger than him for some reason. But they still fought like ass. Gunn was able to get away again, but not before he got a beating.

He succeeded in escaping the ally, only to pass out in front of two very scared kids. From what Angel told him, those kids are now caught up in some bad juju. Kidnapped parents, being potential champions, even Wallace's arm being broken. All of it was Gunn's fault. If only he'd been better. If maybe he'd seen through the spell the vamps used on him, he might've been able to prevent Veronica and Wallace from being noticed.

He needed to be better.

-

Nothing. That's what Logan found at his house. Sorry, nothing but an open door. His brother was missing. His mother was missing. Wallace had two choices. He could call the sheriff's department and deal with Lamb, or he could put all his trust in Veronica. No contest.

He was heading back to Gunn's room. Veronica had pretty much dismissed him for spilling the beans on Keith's disappearance. It wasn't his fault. Not really. It's tough keeping track of a woman's expectations under the best of circumstances.

Wallace opened the door to the room and saw that Gunn was dressed and looking like he was ready to go.

"You're over 18 right?" the lawyer asked by way of greeting.

"Yeah, so?"

"So check yourself out. We can't stay here. If we get attacked..." Gunn trailed off to let Wallace fill in the rest.

"Damn. Where do we go?" The younger man asked.

Gunn walked by him and headed out the hall. "We go home."

-

"Alicia? Alicia, wake up." She needed to wake up now. She really did. He couldn't understand why she didn't wake up. She has a pulse, her breathing's regular, but she just won't wake up. Her sons need her. Wallace must be going out of his mind right now. And Darrel. Darrel just sits in the corner. He hasn't said anything since they brought him back. He was screaming to burst when they took him. Alicia wouldn't let them do it. She kicked and fought and screamed for her baby.

They laughed. She was trying to protect her son, and they laughed. Their deep and terrible voices rumbled in his chest as they hit her. Alicia went down, and hasn't woken up yet. Keith pulled her close and held her while he stared into the still and vacant eyes of Darrel Fennel.


	15. Chapter 15

The shower was hot and relaxing. As promised, Veronica was making great use of it. Xander offered to burn her clothes when he gave her some of Willow's to wear, but changed his mind when he realized he would have to touch them. After she finished, she put on the borrowed clothes and headed back into Willow's room. There she found Xander sitting next to his sick best friend as he held her hand.

" ... and then I told her she smelled. Which she did. So I let her use your shower. And gave her some of your clothes. I hope you don't mind, the girl's hot enough to let her be naked, but I figured wearing an outfit that looked like a bag of skittles threw up was torment enough. Also? Slayer-like death glares. Not fun, yet oddly alluring and holy god you're standing right here!" Xander exclaimed when he noticed a very amused Veronica.

"Wow. I'm hot enough to be naked huh? Well why don't I just take of these here skittle-clothes and be done with it?" She made like she was about to do just that, then stopped. "Sorry. Wearing the rainbow is just too much like tasting it."

Xander recovered some from his supreme embarrassment. "Yeah, well. If you recall, I said that outfit looked, not like a bag of skittles, but the tossed cookies of said bag of skittles. So, unless you like wearing skittle-vomit," His face turned lecherous, "get nekkid." He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Veronica gave him a supremely unamused look. One that lasted all of ten seconds before she broke out laughing. "Tempting, but I think I'll pass." She sobered up when she saw how pale and sickly Willow looked. "How's she doing?"

"Not so good." Xander told her. "Her skin's still clammy, and she's running a fever." He stared down at Willow worriedly. "But Gunn has some really good contacts. I'm pretty sure I can get her a cure."

"She's not getting, y'know, worse?" Veronica asked awkwardly. Her question had more to do with her curiosity of the curse's side-effects, than concern. Not that she wasn't concerned, because she was. It's just that she was really, really curious too.

Xander shook his head. "No. This isn't a fatal curse, thank God. It's just something to keep her out of the way. I think it was done to her so that she wouldn't get involved."

"Involved with what?"

He looked Veronica like he was surprised by the question. "Your case." He told her matter-of-fact-ly.

"What?" That didn't make sense. "Why would anyone put the whammy on Willow because of me?"

"Umm, maybe it's because she's a witch?" Xander said. "Didn't you know?" He asked off of Veronica's astonished expression.

"No. That's news." She told him a little dazedly. She sat down on a chair. Her eyes darted to the still form on the bed. "Far out. A witch." A thought occurred to her. "Hey! Couldn't she do some kind of dowsing thing and find my dad?"

"Yeah, if she were conscious." Xander told her glumly. "Suspects number one are pretty much the guys who took your father. We figure it's because they didn't want Willow to do her thing."

"Who figured?"

Xander shrugged. "Us. Me, Angel, Spike, and Gunn. Basically everybody that's not you, Willow and Wallace. We were going to have a powwow to bring you up to speed, just not 'til later."

Something was bothering Veronica. "Did you two let anybody know that you were coming?" Xander shook his head. "Then how did they know to poison Willow?

He opened his mouth to respond. "I ... That's ... That's a really good question." He pulled out his cellphone and dialed but got no answer. After a few minutes he tried another number. "Hello. Can you put me through to Charles Boyleston's room please? He checked out? When? Ok. Thanks." Xander hung up and started to say something to Veronica, but she was busy with her own cellphone.

"Hey Wallace? No I'm not over that. I ..." she stopped when she heard a car blat it's horn in the background. "Where are you? WHAT! You're on your way here? Oh my God. What about your arm?" Veronica went silent as Wallace explained why he left the hospital. "Oh god. You really think that might happen? Ok. I'll see you soon. Be careful Plucky." She hung up and stared down at her phone.

"So," Xander started, "on their way over are they?" Veronica didn't respond. "Earth to Mars." He knocked on her forehead.

Veronica gave him a startled look. "My dad says that to me all the time." She told him sadly.

Xander felt like an ass. "Hey, I'm sorry." He chuckled a bit. "Guess I'm not as original as I thought, huh?"

She chuckled with him. "It's Ok, my dad also says that great minds think alike."

Xander grinned and changed the subject before he ended up putting his other foot in his mouth. "Why did you come over anyway? You said you had some questions?"

Veronica gathered her thoughts. "Um, yeah. First though, how likely is it Gunn and Wallace would be attacked at the hospital?"

"Not much now that they aren't there." Xander foolishly replied. He was rewarded with a terrifying glare. "Heh. Um. It all really depends on (Could you not stare at me like that?) It all depends on who the enemy thinks is a threat. Willow was taken down because she's powerful. Angel and Spike are too clever for a subtle attack, and too strong for a direct one. I'm not really all that mighty my own self, and with Will out of it, there's no way in hell I'm leaving her. If we're dealing with the kidnapers, you and Wallace are off the 'to attack' list. That just leaves Gunn. They could target him, but he's already hurt so there's not really any point." Xander left out the part where demons might actually think that's the best part.

"And if we're not dealing with kidnappers?" Veronica wanted to know.

"Then you and Wallace are no threat, and therefore, not worth the effort." (LIE!) Veronica was silent as she processed the information given. "What else did you wanna ask?"

"Earlier, you said Wesley was Buffy's watcher, right?" Xander nodded. "Ok. But what the hell does that mean? No one has explained anything to me other than telling me I was a potential champion. I was hoping you would do the honors?" She looked at him a little desperately. "I just want to know what we've gotten ourselves into."

Seemed only right to him. Xander took a deep breath and began. "For me, it all started when this really hot blonde girl moved to Sunnydale..."

-

The woman was groggy and the room was dark. She was sitting in a chair. She tugged at her wrists, but they were tightly bound. Her ankles were tied too. Her waist, her neck, all of it tied up. She was in a severe lockdown. A moan of pain escaped her lips and she heard the sound of footsteps coming close.

"Well, hello there." A british accent spoke to her. It took her a minute, but she soon realized that the darkness wasn't because the lights were out. Her head was covered in a bag!

"Let me go!" she shrieked and struggled against her bonds as panic began to set in.

The british voice laughed. "Yeah, I'll get right on it."

Smug bastard! She'd show him. She began to chant under her breath. When she was finished, she waited for the sounds of pain and fear, but nothing happened.

Another voice, softer, more intense, spoke. "Sorry. Your ability to do magic won't work here." The voice moved closer. His next words scared her more than anything she's ever heard in her life. "It's just us. And you. And so much time to kill."

The british voice laughed again.

Morgan Walker wished she could pray.

-

The woman was groggy and the room was dark. She was leaning against something warm. Someone gently caressed her face. Her arms felt heavy, and her head was pounding. A moan of pain escaped her lips and she heard a soft voice answer.

"Alicia..."

She realized the darkness wasn't because the lights were out, but because her eyes were covered!

"Keith?" she asked of the voice. "What's on my face." She reached up to touch whatever it was, but Keith stopped her.

"They hit you pretty hard and it hurt your eyes. You won't be able to see for a little while." He tried to sound reassuring. "It won't be for long."

That's right, They hit her because she wouldn't let them take Darrel. A supreme feeling of grief and loss assaulted her. "They took him Keith. They took my baby." Alicia found that eyes that couldn't see, could still cry.

"It's all right Alicia. They brought him back." Keith looked at Darrell's still form and vacant expression. He wanted to lie to her, but the pain in her voice broke his heart. "He's right here."

Alicia began to struggle again. "He's here? Darrel? Darrel, baby! Momma's here!"

Keith wouldn't let go. "He's asleep Alicia. It's fine." He knew she wouldn't believe him. He could never lie to her. Successfully anyway. Not since they dated.

She stilled in his arms again. "Oh god. What's wrong? Keith? Tell me what's wrong!" she struggled harder against him. Keith's eyes began to tear up, and he just held her close against her will.

"Everything is fine Alicia. Don't worry." Why did he say anything? Why couldn't he have been stronger?

"No! Let me go! Darrel! Darrel!" And Alicia lost all control. She swung her arms wildly as she wept uncontrollably. She tried to get to her son, but Keith wouldn't let her. She couldn't see her son like that. It's why he covered her eyes, letting her think she was blind. It's why he wouldn't let her go. It's why he let her hit him as she struggled. He loved her once, and she just couldn't see her child like this.

-

Wallace watched Gunn with interest as they walked from the hospital to the Hyperion. Something wasn't right.

"When me and Veronica got attacked, you were hurt bad. Worse than me. So how come you're all better now?"

Gunn answered without stopping. "I have an enhanced healing ability." He looked over his shoulder. "It's a secret, so don't go telling people."

"If it's a secret, why tell me?"

Gunn stopped walking. "Are you going to tell anyone?" he asked.

"Should I?" Wallace wondered.

"What do you think?" Gunn asked.

Wallace carefully considered the man before him. "I think it's none of my business."

Gunn smiled. "And that's why I told you." He continued walking.

Wallace jogged after him. "Hey! Care to clarify?"

Gunn stopped again. "It means I trust you Wallace."

He looked at the older man closely. "But you don't even know me."

Gunn smiled. "I know you're the type of kid who'd do anything for his friends." He started walking again. This time at a slower pace. "I saw how you were when Veronica's dad got kidnapped. You were besides yourself trying to get out there and do something."

Wallace raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'd do the same for you?"

Gunn shrugged. "I just do." He grinned knowingly and patted Wallace's good shoulder. "C'mon. We don't want to be out when it gets dark."

-

"What the hell do you mean they're vampires?!" Veronica yelled. Xander winced at the unhappy volume. "Aren't vampires evil?"

"Well yeah. They're as evil as they come. Just not these two. Currently." Xander helpfully explained.

"Currently? Currently? What, do they have off days?" Veronica adopted a deeper voice. "On Tuesdays and Wednesdays let's be evil Spike. Why jolly good idea Angel. I'm all for it.' Is that what you mean by currently?" She was getting dangerously close to hysterical and Xander really couldn't blame her. After all, he pretty much agreed with her when he was her age.

"No, and if you'll calm down I'll explain it to you." He told her all about Angel's gypsy curse. About Spike's rocky road to redemption. He also told her about the time they went to Rome because everybody should know that.

When he was finished, Veronica was speechless. For once. "Holy crap."

Xander nodded. "Pretty much."

"And they're not dangerous?"

The watcher looked at her with his one eye. A telling expression on his face. "Not to us."

-

SMACK! The hit was swift and brutal. The velvet bag on Morgan's head did nothing to deaden the impact. Nor did it for any of the previous ones. If Angel had any moral qualms about watching Spike work his charms for the second time in as many days, he didn't show it.

"Just tell why you had the girl's father kidnapped, and we'll stop." Angel told her.

"What do you mean 'we'? I've been doing all the work." Spike asked indignantly.

Angel smirked back at him. "C'mon Spike. You've been having fun."

"Oh, obviously. But that's not the point! You always took credit for any decent bit of torture I did!"

"I did not! You never did anything worth taking credit for!" Angel shot back.

Spike was taken aback. "Oh really? What about that time I tortured you for the Gem of Amara?"

Angel rolled his eyes at the younger vampire's stupidity. "If I remember correctly, and I do, one of your MINIONS did the torturing."

"Oi! I helped! You were ..." Spike's affronted response was interrupted by a shriek.

"Oh god, I've been kidnapped by idiots! I told you. I don't know what happened to that stupid bitch's damn father!"

Spike punched her in the gut. "I don't believe you." He told her in a singsong voice.

Angel winced in sympathy. "Ooh. I'd hate to throw up in that." He said, referring to the velvet bag.

Morgan did, in fact, swallow back vomit. "Ugh. Please, I don't know anything." She said piteously.

Angel went up to her, careful not to step in any blood or urine, and stroked her cheek through the bag. She shivered violently as she tried to shy away from his touch.

"But you do know something." He said softly. "You know why you sent vampires after my friend. You know why they beat him, almost to death, and I want you to tell me." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, using his most intimate voice. "Or I'll cut you slowly. You'll bleed out and die." He chuckled affectionately. "I know for a fact that the Senior Partners have a very special hell for those who fail them."

He pulled back. An uncomfortable look on his face. This felt too much like fun. He didn't want it to get this far. The worst part was the impressed look Spike gave him.

"If my powers worked, this would be a very different conversation." Morgan spat hatefully. After a few moments she began talking. "Your friend knows the location of one of our missing associates."

"Which one?" Spike asked. Now they're getting someplace.

Morgan sighed defeatedly. "Dr. Oliver Wilson. He specializes in advanced human enhancements. He went awol after completing his training. The Senior Partners has a vested interest in Wilson and wanted him found."

Angel thought hard, but he didn't recognize that name. "I knew all the names of the people who ran out during my time there, but I don't know who that is."

"That's because he wasn't from your time. He worked with Lilah Morgan. She hired him to work on some special project. I don't know much about it. The files didn't make sense. There was this big gaping hole in it. Like it was erased, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you Angel?"

'Conner.' He thought with a start. 'He was hired to work on Conner.'

Spike, meanwhile, was getting impatient. "Why the hell would Gunn know Doctor Evil's location?"

"Why do you think?" Morgan asked snidely.

Spike looked sharply at Angel. He stared back. What was she implying?

The younger vampire turned back to his victim. "He was getting another brain enhancement?"

"No. Dr. Sparrow handled all of our brain work. Wilson was supposed to take care of the body."

Spike leaned back and crossed his arms as he considered the information he's just received. "Sparrow. Why do I know that name?"

Angel told him. "He was the one that made all the clones of us. The one you tortured after Fred ..." He trailed off, not wanting to talk about that difficult time.

"Right." Spike nodded his head in understanding. "I do remember him." He snorted. "It seems to me like he had a handle on the bodywork just fine, making all of those clones. Regular George Lucas, he was."

Morgan sighed. "That's because he had to be. We didn't want to be put into another position like the one Wilson left us in. We made it mandatory for all doctors to learn something about the other doctors professions."

"So Charlie was looking to get some magic steroids?" Spike asked.

Angel shook his head. "He wouldn't have needed a Wolfram and Hart doctor for that. He wanted physical enhancements."

Spike didn't believe it. "No way! He's smarter than that."

"Remember what he said after you killed your clone?" He reminded.

A disappointed look came across Spike's face. "I do. He told me there was now way he should've been taken down so quickly. He said he was enhanced." Spike shook his head in disgust. "I thought he just meant his brain." The vampire unfolded his arms and punched the wall. Leaving cracks in the brick. "That stupid moron! I'd think after Fred, he'd be done with shit like that!"

Angel clasped the other vampire's shoulder. "Calm down. We should hear Gunn's side before we make any judgments." He gazed sorrowfully at the beaten and bound form of his captive. Then buried the part of him that said what he was about to do was wrong. "I know this has been difficult for you. Being tortured and threatened is probably something you never thought would happen again. Especially after being promoted to your new station." Angel took Morgan's hand in his own. "I only have ten more questions and then this'll be over." He grabbed her pinky and pulled it back, just short of breaking it. "What can you tell me about Wolfram and Hart's connections to the underworld drug cartels?"

Morgan shook her head desperately. "I don't know!"

Angel closed his eyes sadly and ignored the screaming as he pulled her finger the rest of the way back.

-

In a dark and shadowy room, the demons gathered. They sat at a table, the biggest one at the head. They all gazed excitedly at a jar. The jar contained an ethereal mist, much like glowing fog. It was placed atop a strange device that had tubes stemming from the base. Each tube was placed before a demon. The biggest one puffed up it's chest and began to speak.

**"We did it. All of us. Soon we will have an item unlike anything we've seen before."** The demon laughed. **"And the best part is how unbelievably obvious it was. Anybody could have created it! But did they?"**

**"No!" **The demons cried as one

**"That's right! They didn't. Do you know why? Because they weren't smart enough! They weren't clever enough! Dedicated enough! Evil enough to have seen the obvious! But WE were! We did the work! We made the effort, and soon, it will pay off!"** The demons roared with pride. **"Now, let us take this opportunity to enjoy a little bit of the fruits of our labor."** It gestured magnanimously to the jar and the demon smiled. Showing it's many teeth. The demons cheered madly in approval.

They each picked a tube and placed it in their mouths. The biggest demon pushed a button on the device and the fog was ripped apart by the tubes.

Except the biggest one's. His tube did nothing.

He watched as his fellow's faces changed from an excited anticipation, to surprise, then horror, and finally pain. One by one the demons died. The stronger ones died slower. One even tried to attack the biggest, dying before it could even raise it's massive arms.

The last one smiled. Satisfied at a job well done. A door opened behind it, and a figure stepped out. Their face was covered in the shadow that dominated the room. The figure held a jar. A jar containing an ethereal mist that glowed brightly in the dark.

"Master! Are you pleased?" The last demon asked humbly.

The figure held the jar up to her face, the glow sending it into a sharp relief. Lianne Mars smiled brightly at her minion.

"Very."


	16. Chapter 16

Wallace and Gunn walked into the hotel shortly before dark. Soon after, Logan was greeted by Veronica with a fierce hug and scorching kiss. Angel and Spike crept in through the sewer entrance. Their guilty and brooding demeanor unquestioned by all save Logan who didn't know any better. Xander sat on the bottom steps and watched the people in the hotel, a distracted look on his face. Dusk has fallen. They each of them gathered in the lobby, as if by instinct, and stood in an uncomfortable silence. All had questions. Only some had answers.

The vampires went first. They informed the group of what They'd learned during the "interrogation" of Morgan Walker. Wolfram and Hart had nothing to do with the kidnappings, but they were responsible for Gunn's injuries. Spike looked Gunn directly in the eye as Angel said this. Silently telling the man he knew why they attacked him and that there would be words. Gunn's answering nod signaled his understanding and his defiant stance told Spike the rest. When Angel had finished his report, the only sound that could be heard was silence.

Logan raised his hand. "Um, Hi. Yeah..." He scratched the back of his head. "I have a couple of questions. First. The pentagram?" Logan gestured down at it. "Anything?" He looked around to see if any answers were forthcoming. None were. Spike did roll his eyes though. Logan shrugged and went on. "Ok. Second thing. Vampires. What?! You people are actually having a serious conversation involving vampires." Smirking his trademark smirk, the brash young man looked each of the gathered in the face. "So what kind of drugs did you all take?" He turned to his girlfriend. "I'm very disappointed in you. In all of you." Logan pointed to Spike. "But you most of all Billy." He sighed dramatically and opened his mouth to speak, but whatever words Logan was about to say died in his throat as soon as he saw Spike's game face.

The vampire was suddenly no longer across the room, but directly in front of him. It happened so quickly! Logan could only stare into those terrifyingly yellow eyes. Spike growled. He actually growled like an animal!

"I can hear your heart beat." Spike said softly. Making sure to display his very sharp, very large canines.

"Spike!" Angel chastised. "That's enough."

Spiked looked over his shoulder back at his sire. "Sorry Peaches, I don't know what came over me." He turned back to the stunned teenager in front of him. His face was normal once again. "And sorry to you too my good man." Spike clapped a chummy hand on Logan's shoulder and smiled winningly. "Let's put this all behind us, shall we?" With that, he went back to his previous spot and lit up a cigarette.

Logan did his best not to fall, but the knees, they were weak. He fell on his ass and stared at Spike with undisguised fear. His every instinct was to run. He looked up at Veronica and Wallace. They were at his sides trying to pull him to his feet. Logan sought Veronica eyes, asking her to make sense of all this. But they held no answers. Instead, he saw a new hardness in them. One that was caused by something so awful, it made everything she'd been through before look like picnics at Jellystone National Park. Veronica hugged him tightly. For comfort. For support. She leaned her head on his shoulder as her attentions turned to Gunn and his assurances that a cure for the afflicted Willow could be found.

Xander nodded. "When do we saddle up?" he asked Gunn.

"We can go as soon as the confab's over." Gunn declared.

"Sounds good." Xander smiled and looked at Logan. "Oh, by the way, Willow's a witch. But don't ask where her pointy hats and warts are, because she'll turn you into a newt. And in case you were wondering, you will not be getting better from that." He smirked at Logan's wide-eyed expression. "Ok. I lie. She won't turn you into a newt, but she will give you a lecturing like you wouldn't believe." Xander made a Vanna-esque gesture. "Back to you Angel."

"Thanks." Angel said dryly. "Anybody have anything else to add?" Spike opened his mouth. "Before you say what you are going to say, ask yourself one thing. Is it something that's going to get you killed?" Spike shut his mouth. Angel looked to see if anybody else had something to say. They didn't. "Good. Let's get to work."

The vampire pulled on his billowy coat and strode dramatically toward the front door. Spike followed, his own leathers sailing behind him impressively. Angel had just reached the lobby entrance, when Veronica's cellphone rang. She fished it out of the jacket pocket she set down behind her and looked at the caller ID.

"It's my dad's cellphone." She said weakly. Veronica looked to Angel for instructions on what to do.

"Answer it and put it on speaker. Everybody else, stay quiet." he nodded for her to go ahead.

"Daddy?" she asked as Logan held her hand. Wallace tensed up, eager to hear any information about his mother or brother.

This time, like before, it wasn't her father that answered. "Veronica, honey?"

"Oh god, Mom?" This was absolutely the last person she expected. Ronald Reagan would've surprised her less.

Lianne's voice was shaky and afraid. "They have your father sweetie. They took him." She whimpered in despair. "They want you! They want you and your friend! They've already done something to the little boy they took!" Veronica glanced up at her best friend in time to see all the color drain from his face. "They're not human! Stay away Veronica! Stay..." She was cut off by a loud sound, like someone hitting a stack of meat, and a quiet thump.

"Mom! MOM!" She shouted into the phone. After a few seconds of silence, a gravelly voice picked up.

**"You and the boy will come to the East warehouse on Lairdman Island, or I will kill your families. Be there by eleven o'clock."** The line went dead.

The phone fell from her hands and she began to tremble. Logan was there in an instant to catch her as she collapsed. Wallace too, held her up while she began to sob uncontrollably.

-

The tragedy was that in death, Lianne Mars possessed the will and fortitude that escaped her in life. When she left Veronica the second time, she took a fifty thousand dollar check with her. That sum can go a long way towards a college tuition, or it can go quickly in a bar and casino. Missing Veronica terribly, Lianne did her best to drown her guilt and sorrow into the only friends she had left. Liquor and gambling. She wanted nothing more to go back to her and beg forgiveness. But that wasn't an option. The only thing she could do was spend the money until it ran out. The problem was by the time that happened, she was up to her ears in debt. She was screwed. The people to whom she owed were not generous nor were they forgiving. She had a certain amount of time to pay, or she would die.

Lianne tried to flee, but they caught her before she could get more than a couple of hundred miles away, and dragged her back to the boss.

"I'm very disappointed. I give you some leeway, and then there's running." He chuckled. "It's like the old saying goes: Give them an inch and they'll take a mile." The boss looked down at the sobbing Lianne with pitiless eyes. "You shouldn't have done that Lianne. But don't worry, you'll have eternity to make it up to me." With that, Lianne felt a sharp pain in her neck, then nothing at all.

When she woke up, she felt a ravenous hunger. One that could not be sated by drink, or food. She saw the crying young girl before her and knew what to do. When she finished, Lianne watched the cooling body with a quiet curiosity. She'd never before seen a dead body. Not one outside a funeral anyway. With a start, Lianne realized she felt nothing at the sight. No pity or remorse or regret. The only thing she felt was hungry. The girl had been small. She banged on the door of the room she was in.

"Got any more?" She asked through the door. They did.

Later, the boss came in to see how his latest creation was doing. Lianne was busy moving back and forth in the mirror, fascinated by her lack of reflection. He smiled, amused. She knew he was there even though her back was to him. Turning around, she felt a sense of ... something. It wasn't a human emotion and so, she couldn't describe it. Her sire brought her into his office and offered her some scotch. Lianne declined, deciding to give it up once and for all. She thought of it as a new-unlife resolution.

"That must be the first time in your life you've ever declined a drink." Her boss smirked. "Well Ok then. Why don't we get down to business." He told her what he expected of her. She was to become his assistant. Or secretary if you want to be old school about it. But technically, she was a slave. She worked when he said, slept when he said, and serviced him whenever he wanted her. Yet, despite all that, Lianne was able to observe, to learn. She dropped all the right eves and educated herself about his operation, how to control a crew, and how to deal with the opposition. FInally, when she'd learned all she could from him, she staked the bastard and declared herself the new boss.

Of course, this declaration was immediately challenged by those loyal to the former leader. Lianne's response was simple. She shot them. Most of them were demons, but the rounds were explosive. Seeing no other complaints, she went about the daily routine of running the business. The nay-sayers all died under mysterious or really obvious circumstances, and her rivals soon learned to respect her. By the time a year had passed, Lianne Mars was considered a player in her little corner of the underworld. She inherited quite a tasty piece of the pie when she slew her sire. The business was involved in everything from human gambling and drugs to demon gambling and drugs.

But, even though she's a soulless demon, Lianne still missed her daughter. After a while, all she could think about was getting to her. She couldn't just walk up and expect to be greeted with open arms, she'd need a way to bring Veronica to her. A kidnapping maybe? No Keith would find her and that would probably end up getting Veronica killed.

Suddenly, she was struck by an epiphany. She'd take Keith instead! It was perfect! Veronica would stop at nothing to find him, and since she'd use demons, there'd be no chance the cops would get to him first. All Lianne needed to do was wait until the opportune moment. So she ordered a few scrying charms to be placed on her family and watched. Veronica's graduation present, a trip to New York ,would have been the perfect time. Unfortunately, she didn't have any influence there, and going through the proper channels would take too long.

Finally, Veronica decided to go to LA. She enjoyed seeing the best the east coast had to offer in the arts, now she wanted to see what the west had. Of course, she'd been there before, but never without her father. The only company Veronica brought was that friend of hers. The one who's mother dated Keith.

Lianne sneered at the thought, and filed it away for later. Now that the moment has arrived, all she needed to do was take advantage of it. She arranged for her contacts in LA to monitor Veronica. She sent some demons to take Keith and bring him to LA as bait. Lianne didn't want to use any of her people in the kidnapping, as she didn't trust them with Veronica's life. She needed a way to ensure her health. So she hired mercenaries and told them that Veronica's soul would make an excellent ingredient for a unique derivative of Innocents. That way the demons wouldn't hurt her daughter.

Of course, nothing played out like it was supposed to. The demons got too careless, and attracted the attention of the freaking Slayers! They neglected to tell her about Veronica being in the hospital, and because of that, Keith wasn't even in Neptune when he was kidnapped. To top it off, Veronica managed to somehow get in contact with Angel Investigations! All in all, these guys were messing up big time. Luckily, she was able to place an operative at the hospital where Veronica's friend was staying. That way, Lianne could keep appraised of the actual situation and not rely on some hocus-pocus to tell her what was up.

Lianne considered the information she now had. The vampire was well known for his investigative prowess. The last thing she wanted was a vampiric version of her husband around. She needed a way to throw him off. She was stumped. That is, until her attorney paid a visit.

"Good evening Mrs. Mars. Wolfram and Hart, being only to happy to help reunite a mother with her daughter, would like for you to see this." He slid a report across her desk and departed. The report stated that Veronica and her friend were potential champions. Lianne was shocked, but kinda proud. Her baby was a potential champion! A soul like that would make fantastic soul juice. Lianne laughed to herself. Reading that report had given her an idea. Turns out she didn't actually lie to her minions, how about that? Obviously, Veronica's soul was off limits, but her friend's might be good for something.

Smiling wickedly, Lianne arranged for the kidnapping of Alicia Fennel. 'That'll teach her to date MY husband.' she thought viciously.

Luck continued to shine down on her as the opportunity to do something about the people the Slayers sent to investigate her stupid demons came when they were admitted to Veronica's hospital. She wanted to take care of them both, but she settled for doing up the witch. Lianne gave specific instructions NOT to kill her because she really didn't want the Slayers and the Watchers to come after her.

The demons had proved to be worthless. Too loud and unsubtle. Lianne needed to get rid of them. So, after they returned with her new "guests", she ordered the soul from the little boy that was with Alicia to be extracted, and promised it to the pack. The alpha demon, looking to rise above it's station, betrayed it's brethren at Lianne's command and switched the soul with poison made to resemble it.

With the demons dead and the boy's soul in her hands, Lianne Mars now held quite the bargaining chip. Even if those vampires Veronica allied herself with manage to rescue her hostages, she would still have the upper hand. Lianne smiled as she looked at the jar. It's pretty glow casting a warm light upon her face. Life was good, but with her daughter at her side, life would be better.

-

Angel and Spike waited across the street from Sammy's Bar and Grill. They'd been there for almost an hour, just standing, while Angel stared at the entrance. Spike glared sideways at him.

"What?" Angel asked, not looking away from the bar.

Spike fully turned to face him. The expression on his face was one of incredulousness. "Are you serious? You don't know why I'm giving you the evil-eye? Well, how about that little girl who's daddy and mummy got snatched. Shouldn't we be, I don't know, doing something about it!"

Angel continued to stare at the bar. "Not to mention Wallace's family."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah!" The blonde agreed. "That's bad too. So what are we doing here?"

"I never did tell you about Sammy, did I?" Angel smiled a little. "He's a snitch. Better than Willie."

"Really? Huh. Well then, why are we still standing out here?"

Angel's smile got a little wider. "We're waiting for the Thesolo demons."

Spike, who had gone back to staring at the bar, whipped his head back so quickly, he's lucky he didn't break his own neck. "WHAT!"

"You heard me."

Spike pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh hell. I don't have a big enough sword for this."

Angel finally tore his gaze away from the bar. "You brought a sword?" He asked, looking Spike up and down. "Where'd you hide it?"

Sighing, Spike pulled his coat aside to reveal a medium length broadsword. "What? You've never seen 'Highlander?" Spike wondered after seeing his sire's surprised face. Angel's expression became confused. "Never mind."

Dismissing it, Angel confessed that they were, in fact, not waiting for Thesolos, but for Gunn. He and Xander were off to get the cure for Willow's ailment. Angel gave Gunn instructions to meet them here when he was finished.

Spike went back to staring at the entrance. After about two seconds, he got bored. "We should just go in. I'm dying for a pint, and there's no point in waiting out here. I'm sure Charlie Boy has his ID, so he won't get stopped at the door."

"How long have we been standing out here?" Angel asked in response.

"About an hour, why?"

"And how many people have come in or out of the bar in that time?"

Spike opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he realized the answer. "Oh balls."

Angel nodded. "That's right. None. Absolutely no customers on a Friday night. So either the place is closed for an unexpected renovation, or this is a trap. And since I was invited by Sammy himself..."

"Trap." Spike finished for him. "Right. So what do you want to do? Spring it, or leave it be."

Angel smirked as he looked at the bar and pulled out a small, but deadly looking ax. "Why do you think we're waiting for Gunn?"

-

"We're going in there?" Xander asked as he and Gunn stood outside a dangerous looking shop. They were in a bad part of the bad part of town.

"Yep. That's it." Gunn walked towards the front door. He knocked and a panel slid open to reveal distrusting eyes.

"What?" They asked. "What do you want?"

"I want to get in. Why else would I be knocking?" He informed them.

"What's the password?"

Gunn rolled his eye and sneered. "Man, there's no password. Open up Jack, before I break this door down!"

"No!" The panel slid shut.

Xander glared at the other man. "Now what?"

Gunn looked back at Xander. "Now I do what I said." He raised his boot and kicked the door in, and causing a loud bang when it hit the wall.

Jack stared at Gunn and Xander as they walked in the front door. "What the hell?" He pulled out a gun. "Get out of here!"

Gunn raised an eyebrow at the piece. And took it from the kid's hands. "Jack man, what the hell are you doing with this?" He passed it back to Xander, who turned the safety on and tucked it away. "Does Anne know you got a gun?" Gunn gestured to the door behind him. "Get the hell out of here, before I beat your ass!" Jack didn't need telling twice. "And don't be playing around with no guns!"

Xander glanced back at the retreating Jack. "He seemed nice. So. What are we going to do now that we've broken in without the password?"

Gunn snorted. "There ain't no password. Jack was just being a dumb-ass."

"With a gun?" Xander questioned as they headed down a hallway.

"Boy's got no sense. You got money?" Xander said he had about three hundred on him. "That might not be enough."

"How much will I need?" Xander asked annoyed. This should have been brought up long before they were walking down the hallway of a black market potions dealer.

Gunn shook his head. "Naw man. I meant that money might not be enough. They might want a favor."

"Then why did you ask if I had money?"

Gunn shrugged. "They'll probably want that too. Tell them you only got a hundred and fifty." He paused in front of an opulent looking door. "It's probably a good idea to leave the talking to me. If they ask you something, answer it quickly and respectfully. These folks here? They are not ones to put up with attitude." Xander nodded to convey his understanding. Gunn opened the door, and humbly bowed his head. Xander copied and followed him in.

"Greetings, sirs and lady. I come in regards to the potion we have discussed. I'm sure with your wisdom, we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement." Gunn brown nosed like a pro. The people in front of him were practically preening with satisfaction at being addressed so.

Xander too, felt a certain kind of awe. Both at Gunn and the room. He never figured the fairly bad-ass Gunn could prostrate himself with such Sunnydale-Weselyness. And the room was, quite frankly, magnificent. It was filled to the brim with sweet smelling potions that rested upon golden tables. The walls were decorated with gorgeous pieces of art and tapestries of such quality, that Xander wished for a second that he had two eyes to see them with. Meaning, they were all depictions of naked ladies. Really sexy naked ladies. Xander redirected his gaze to the people that Gunn spoke to. They were, all five of them, without a stitch of clothing. The lady one smiled saucily at him. His goofy grin answered back.

The nudists before them were considered to be the finest potion makers in the country. As such, they were used to the best. Wolfram and Hart had seen to their every need. These folks weren't evil, they were in business. The ingredients they had their attorneys acquire were, for the most part, legal. And, for the most part, ethical. They very rarely required anything that was alive, and never human. Gunn felt it was within reason to trust them with Willow's health.

An unfairly buff male spoke with a deep and masculine voice. "Welcome back Charles. It's a pleasure to look upon you're visage again." He noticed Gunn's eyepatch. "But what has happened to your lovely eyes? Did you loose one? In battle perhaps?"

Gunn grinned. "Something like that." They looked at him sorrowfully. "But it's cool! I got a spare." He pointed to his remaining eye. The potion makers all laughed heartily at that.

The unfairly buff male to the right of the first unfairly buff male spoke up. Also in a deep and masculine voice. "I should have known your spirit would never bow to such disfigurement." He noticed Xander, who was discretely (for him) ogling the lady. "And you've found a friend with the same wound! How nice." He stared at Xander expectantly.

Xander's attention was still on the pretty one, so Gunn elbowed him. "Huh? Ow. Hey!" The other man nodded towards the naked people. Something clicked in Xander's brain. "Oh. Right. I completely agree." Unfortunately, it clicked in half and became broken. Gunn slapped his forehead in embarrassment.

The naked man who was staring at Xander just continued to grin happily at him. It was getting a little uncomfortable. "What is he doing?" Xander asked out of the corner of his lips.

"He wants you to tell him how you lost your eye." Came the whispered reply.

"Oh. Ok. An evil preacher with preternatural strength poked it out with his thumb." He told them.

They all looked deeply impressed with that and the lady again smiled saucily at him. Yet another unfairly buff male, this one next to the her sexiness, asked for a clarification on what exactly was a "preternaturally strong evil preacher".

Xander nodded. "He was preternaturally strong because he was imbued with the might of the First Evil. And he was evil because his mommy didn't wuv him enough." Gunn again slapped his forehead in embarrassment, then let out a small groan.

He needn't have worried. They all looked at Xander like he was the second coming of Elvis. Truth be told, despite the awkwardly large amount of naked men staring at him, it was kinda neat. He even preened a little himself.

-

Veronica, Wallace and Logan were all in Willow's room. Logan couldn't keep his eyes of of the unconscious redhead. Veronica would've made a joke about being jealous, but couldn't actually work up the energy. She just sat in the chair next to Willow's bed and stared down at her cellphone. Wallace was pacing worriedly around the room.

"I think I'm going to get a new cellphone." Veronica announced out of the blue.

Wallace stopped pacing. "What?"

Veronica shrugged. "It's getting a little out of fashion. I've had it for, what, a year?" Logan, meanwhile, went to poke Willow on the shoulder. Without looking at him she placed her hand on his forearm and lowered it. "Don't poke sleeping witches, that's worse than dogs."

Wallace couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So let me get this straight. Your mom calls on your dad's phone to tell you they kidnapped her AND did something to my brother, but you're worried if your cellphone's out of fashion?" He didn't yell. Wallace knew Veronica better than that. This was something else.

She nodded, as if what her best friend said was extremely profound. "You're right Wallace. What the hell was I thinking?" She stood up forcefully, pulling Logan's attention away from the first actual witch he's ever seen. Veronica looked down at her phone for a second before throwing the thing at the wall with all the strength she could muster.

"Woah!" Wallace was not expecting that. "What's that phone ever done to you?"

Veronica stared at it hatefully. "It was the messenger."

Logan walked over and picked the phone up. "You do realize that those guys were going to call us on THIS if things went south, right honey?" He pulled out the SIM card, and replaced his with it. "Luckily, we have the same provider." He put his phone back in his pocket. "So, not that it wasn't sexy to see you get your violence on, but mind telling me what that was all about?" He idly played around with a piece of Veronica's phone. "Color me stupid, but I don't think it was fashion."

Veronica sat down again and leaned back in the chair so she was looking at the ceiling. "I just didn't want it anymore."

Logan tossed the piece casually behind him. "So you just smashed it? Wow. I hope you never stop wanting me." he joked.

Wallace glared at him. "Could you take this a just a little seriously? I know your parents are dead, so understanding our situation is kinda tough, but let's try it, huh?"

"Wallace!" Veronica chastised.

Logan stormed up to Wallace. "Listen 'Homes', I know that your 'Moms' is in in trouble, but the only reason I don't kick your ass right now is because your arm is broken." He smirked a little. "I hope it heals all right, by the way. But if it doesn't, I'm sure they have an opening at the Double-meat Palace. Maybe you'll get to work drive through."

"Logan!" She shouted.

Wallace came dangerously close to hitting the other boy, but didn't give into the temptation. His family was more important than wiping that smirk off of Logan's face. He held out his hand instead. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

Logan backed off, looking ashamed. "Yeah man. I'm sorry too." He clasped Wallace's hand and shook it. "So, now that that little drama's out of the way, what next?"

Xander walked into the room holding a red bottle. "Now we wake Willow up."


	17. Chapter 17

The front door to Sammie's Bar and Grill flew off it's hinges with all the force of an enraged bull elephant. Angel walked in behind it, ax at the ready. His vampiric features prominently displayed for all to fear. An almost eager look in those horrible yellow eyes.

-

Spike felt the night wind cool his face as he fell through the sky. The glass from the skylight shattered into a million pieces, framing him in a glittering aura. The vampire rolled to absorb the impact of landing and pulled out his sword in one slick maneuver. He was ready.

-

Angel had the front, Spike took the roof, that left Gunn to cover the rear. He kicked in the back door and found himself in the kitchen. His hubcap ax glinted menacingly under the halogen lights. He stilled, a hunter listening for prey. His lone eye narrowed and Gunn marched forward, toward the sounds of violence.

He came out of the kitchen and, for a second, forgot what he was doing. Before him a vampire was sadistically draining the blood from a child. The little boy whimpered, and the vampire stopped drinking for a moment to comfort him in a sickening parody of tenderness. There were two small corpses on the ground next to four more children, the oldest one couldn't have been more than nine. They were being watched by seven more vampires. The kids had bruises and the girl on the right's arm hung from an awkward angle. A female vampire laughed at her pain.

"If you keep crying, I'll have to keep hitting you." The demon said sweetly. "Of course, that's really fun, so go right ahead." One of the vampires noticed the brat in the middle looking at something. He followed the boy's line of sight.

"Oh shit!" He shouted, "It's Gunn!"

"Who?" Another asked. He was answered with the severing of his head as the man in question launched into action.

The ax was in motion. Chaos descended upon the room and Gunn showed no mercy. To his left a vampire lunged at him. He effortlessly sidestepped it and brought his weapon down hard. The creature's head flew and dissipated to dust, leaving a trail behind like some sort of comet.

Gunn turned to his right and threw a stake into the face of a vampire that had taken the injured girl as a hostage. The beast screamed in pain. It's suffering was short lived, however, as Gunn pulled the stake out and slammed it into the heart. The child hurried to the corner where the other kids huddled in fear. She was almost there, but hesitated when she noticed the boy the vampire fed on. He was laying in the middle of the floor, sobbing. She looked at her three fellows in their corner, then she looked back at the boy. He cried weakly for his mother. A determined expression formed on her tear streaked face and she went to him.

Meanwhile, Gunn had managed to dust two more vampires, but lost his ax in the process. There were three left. The female had her arm cut clean off, and was aching for some payback. A tall burly vampire circled behind Gunn and pulled out his knife. The last one, the one who fed, readied a pair of nunchaku.

The little girl pulled the best she could with only one arm, but it was clear that the bigger child would be too much for her. She looked imploringly to the others, begging them to help her, but they were too scared and would not move. The girl began crying again. This time in anger and frustration. Fine. She'd do it on her own. The girl wiped her face, picked up his arm, and heaved. A hand came out of nowhere and grabbed the other arm. She looked over and saw the smallest child of the three, a boy no older than six with more courage than brains. Together, they dragged their now unconscious charge to the relative safety of the corner.

Gunn considered the vampires surrounding him. He knew he could take them. He just needed to do it quick. Wallace and Veronica were going to need his help soon.

The female would wait no longer. Her missing arm begged for this insert racial slur here's death! She launched a kick at his abdomen. Burly Vamp wasted no time in acting. He went to stab Gunn in the kidneys. Gunn pulled back from the kick, and pushed into the vampire behind him. He grabbed Burly's wrist and took the knife. He then tossed the vamp over his shoulder and planted his new toy in the chest of the bitch that tried to kick him.

"Was that supposed to hurt?!" She screamed, pulling the knife out. Gunn had no chance to reply as Nunchuks attacked, swinging his weapons in an elaborate and skilled offense.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Gunn ranted as he dodged and weaved. "You watched WAY too much 'Ninja Turtles'."

Nunchuks smirked. "No such thing." Burly tripped Gunn from behind and Bitchy McOne-arm dove in for the kill.

Gunn smiled.

He blocked her attack and broke her neck, causing her to drop the knife and spasm. He then rolled over to avoid Burly's boot and stopped next to his ax. He rose, the hubcap ax twirled with a grace and skill only years of practice and survival could bring. Burly lost his leg. His head followed soon after, and Nunchuks got axed in the chest.

"Sorry about that," Gunn said, embarrassed. He got it right on the second try and cut his head off. Hearing a guttural noise, Gunn turned and saw Bitchy McOne-arm struggling to rise.

He cut off her other arm, broke her neck worse, then left her.

Gunn swallowed hard. That was a little tougher than he'd have liked. He looked for the kids and saw that the one who'd been bitten was out cold.

He cursed softly, and up to the scared children. "It's all right. My name's Charles, I'm gonna help you, Ok?" He pulled out a handkerchief and held it to the bleeding boy's neck.

-

Sitting around a table in front of Spike were three M'Fashniks, two Grapplers, and a Nurbatch. The Nurbatch stared at Spike in surprise. The others, however, were glowering angrily at him for jumping through the skylight and interrupting poker night. Spike, for his part, swore loudly.

He cleared his throat and gestured to the cards. "Deal me in?" He asked hopefully. The demons expressions remained unchanged. So much for that plan. Spike made to attack, but stopped when he heard shuffling behind him, accompanied by the smell raw human flesh. He turned to see a bipedal beast munching on a thigh. It growled at him and discarded it's meal in favor of newer stuff.

"Now listen beastie, I'm no good for eating. Undead and all. Why don't you stick with that nice tasty limb, Ok?" The card players all laughed. One of the M'Fashniks called out to him.

"Drokkens don't care about quality. They just like quantity!" The other demons laughed again. Spike briefly wondered what the hell a Drokken was before stabbing it though the head.

The demons stopped laughing. The Nurbatch got the hell out of Dodge and the Grapplers and M'Fashniks all stood up menacingly.

Spike kicked the dead monster off his blade and faced them. He vamped out.

"All right boys. Lets see who's bluffing."

He dove forward, swiping his sword at the closest demon, gutting it. The M'Fashnik did what it could to hold it's organs in.

"What the hell is a vampire doing with a Blessed Blade?!" It yelled, recognizing the burning sensation in it's gaping wound.

Spike smirked as he eviscerated a Grappler. "Well, it's not like I'm going to touch the pointy bits, am I?"

"You freak!" The remaining Grappler yelled, coming up behind him.

Spike rolled his eyes before whirling around and cleaved the demon in half. "Words of advise mate." He said to it's twitching cadaver. "Try not to yell when you're attacking the rear, tends to give it away." An M'Fashnik managed to get inside his defenses (Only because he was quipping!) and punched him hard. Hard enough to bring him to his knees. While the other demons laughed, Spike retaliated by forcing his sword up through his attacker's jaw. Then he twisted.

The remaining M'Fashniks were enraged. This stupid vampire had managed to ruin poker night, kill beings that owed them money, killed the ridiculously hard to get Drokken, gut one of them, and now he had the audacity to kill another! The unscathed M'Fashnik charged. Spike shoved his enchanted sword deep into the demon's torso. The M'Fashnik looked down at him. It snarled and grabbed Spike by the shoulders and bellowed it's rage and pain.

"Oh hell." This was bad. Spike thought quickly. "Your mother was a lovely person." He informed his captor. The demon looked confused for a second, then realized what Spike said. It screamed at him.

"You take that back! My mother was terrible!"

"Shan't." Spike replied nonchalantly. Momma's Boy roared loudly and threw Spike at the wall. "Oh yes, make the monster mad so he'll throw you. Moron." he muttered as he picked himself up. Any further comment was cut off when both M'Fashniks rammed him. Turns out they're siblings. Fun.

Gutted M'Fashnik picked him up by the head and pulled the sword out of it's brother. Momma's Boy's face turned ugly(er).

"I'll bet you wish you didn't say nothing about our momma now, huh half-breed?" It said.

"Hruhk roo!" Spike said emphatically. Though his response was muffled by Gutted M'Fashink's hand, the demons were able to get the gist of it. Gutted hefted the sword with it's other hand.

"Gotta say though, bringing a Blessed Blade to the fight was a pretty good plan." It looked over at the dead M'Fashnik. "Cutting us up usually doesn't do much, but with this?" It pressed the flat end of he blade against Spike's neck, reveling in his muffled scream. "Woo baby."

That was it! No one, and Spike meant no one, burned him with his own magical sword! He kicked the demon in the exposed guts, causing it to yowl in pain. Unfortunately it reflexly squeezed it's hands instead of letting go. Spike kicked it again. The demon squeezed again and he screamed in pain along with it. Furious, Spike kicked once more, using all of his not inconsiderable strength.

The upper echelons of academia say the definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over, yet expect different results. Of course, those same sods also say demons are fictional creatures, so what do they know? Gutted dropped Spike and cradled it's internal organs protectively.

Momma's Boy had become so enraged that blood began to spurt out from it's wound. "You... hurt... my... brother." What little rationality the demon possessed soon fled out the window and it tried to hit Spike with a fist the size of a Volkswagen. The car/fist only punched through the floor, as Spike had managed to roll out of the way in time.

Spike smiled.

It seemed that when Gutted dropped him, he'd also dropped his sword. Spike snatched it up and before his rampant foe could get it's enormous mitts on him, he cut Gutted's head off, sending it into the hands of the aforementioned foe.

Momma's Boy looked down at it's brother's head in a stunned shock. Before it had the chance to do anything about it, Spike slashed at it's back. The demon roared in pain.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" It raged and whirled to face him. Spike was ready for this however, and sliced the beast across the eyes.

"GRAAHH!" It screamed and clutched at its bloody face. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Said that line already. Seems like you're running out of material." Spike cut at the demon's knees and it fell to the floor. "Gonna have to call curtains." He raised his sword high, and brought it down hard. "Better luck next time, yeah?"

Spike left the sword wedged in the demon's head. He put one foot on the it's chest and leaned on his knee while he fished out his smokes. He pulled one out, lit it, and inhaled deeply, savoring the taste of victory.

-

Angel had sprung this trap expecting anything. He feared what was before him the most.

Sammy was slumped against his bar. His breath came in ragged and desperate gasps. He was not long for this world. Angel ran up to the beaten old man and did what he could to help. He could staunch the bleeding from the stomach injury, but not the arterial wound on Sammy's thigh.

He will bleed out and die in the place where he made his living.

Sammy stirred. "Angel..." he said softly.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Sammy coughed blood onto his chin. "They know where my son lives. They said if I didn't cooperate, they would... " he coughed some more.

"I understand. Don't worry." Angel reassured him. "If... if I had a son, I'd do the same."

Sammy shook his head. "No you wouldn't. You would've done something heroic. Not like me. I helped them!" he spat, disgusted with himself. "I helped them." He began to cry. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I wish... I wish, I ..." Sammy gurgled up more blood and began to spasm. He twitched and shook and wheezed.

A death rattle.

When it was done, Sammy stilled and stared at nothing.

Angel closed Sammy's eyes for him as he chanced a prayer for the man's soul.

He stood now and spoke to the room. "Come out now and I'll show you how different it is fighting me instead of old men." He could hear it lurking in the darkness, but it should have know. Darkness to a vampire? Well that's just a little like coming home.

Angel thew his ax and struck his target. The demon stumbled from it's hiding place and pulled the ax from it's shoulder.

**"So what now?"** It questioned, throwing the weapon behind it. Angel recognized the species. A Senih'D demon. A species for hire. This was only a minion.

The demon boasted it's intelligence for having lead Angel into this trap.

Angel did nothing.

The demon spoke of how it tormented Sammy, how it would go to the son and violate him in so many ways.

Angel did not react.

The demon began circling Angel, looking to attack. Mocking him all the while.

Angel did not listen.

The demon stopped behind him. It screamed for Angel to do something, say something.

Angel did not.

The demon radiated pure hatred. It attacked. It raved, it ranted, it cursed Angel, it cursed the line of Aurelius. All the while letting loose a flurry of punches and kicks.

Angel dodged, weaved, and deflected, but he did not strike back.

The demon made it's mistake. It got angry, it got stupid, and it got close.

Angel grabbed he demon and threw it over the bar. It hit the back wall with enough force to shatter all the bottles of liquor that were shelved upon it. The demon fell to the ground amid a brilliant cascade of booze.

Angel pulled out a silver zippo. He sparked it.

The demon leapt from behind the bar to attack Angel with all it's malice poured into one mighty blow.

Angel ducked. He reached up with his fire and touched the demon. The spirits that had soaked into it's clothes, in it's hairs, on it's very skin, spread the little flame throughout the demon's body. It shrieked and soared through the air, burning like a phoenix. But this magical creature would not be rising from it's ashes.

Angel made sure the fire did not spread. He spared one last look at Sammy's corpse, grabbed his axe, and left to meet his comrades.

-

Spike came down the stairs and the first thing he asked the others were if they'd left something alive to interrogate, because he accidentally killed all of his opponents. Gunn pointed to the back room where he'd fought the vampires.

They walked in and saw Bitchy McArmless tied to a pole.

Spike raised an eyebrow at the state of her. Angel was more preoccupied with the children. He turned to Gunn.

"You left kids here with her?!" He demanded.

"She's an ARMLESS vampire with a broken neck." He defended. "It's not like she could do anything."

Angel glared at him. "She can still talk to them."

Gunn shrugged. "Yeah well, 'Sticks and stones... ' right? Y'know, we should really get them to a hospital."

Angel nodded and turned to the bound vampire. "Take my car. Spike go with them."

"What?" was the incredulous response. "Do I look like a bloody nanny?"

"Yes. Go." Angel's eyes never left her helpless form. His tone would suffer no arguments and Spike knew it.

"Right then." He looked at the dirty and beaten kids. Gunn had picked up the unconscious boy and the girl with the broken arm followed him. Spike stared down at the three little faces that were looking up at him with trusting eyes. He remembered a time when he was scary, and lamented it's loss. Gunn had told them that Spike would help them and Gunn was awesome! More awesome than Spider-Man even! But not Batman because nobody is better than Batman.

"Listen up you little bastards." He said to the remaining three children. They smirked a little at that. It was like being yelled at by someone who was trying hard to be mean, but could no longer pull it off. "I hate you, but I'm really not in the mood to put up with Captain Forehead's attitude right now, so we all are going to be buddies, and buddies do to what I tell them. Got it?" The children nodded. One of them giggled and Spike died inside. "Follow me." He grumbled and marched out of the room. All the kids but one followed. The last one, the one who helped to pull the wounded boy, stayed behind and stared at the two corpses.

"What about Leo and Matt?" He asked.

Angel looked him straight in the eyes. "They're dead. Go with Spike."

The boy began to tear up and his face crumbled. He began to cry. Hot fat tears streamed down his face and the female vampire laughed.

"Good job." she observed.

Angel grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him from the room. "You don't want to be here anymore, trust me." The boy began to scream, causing Spike to run back.

He looked at the loud child and then looked at Angel. He wisely decided not to comment. He collected the boy and was off.

Angel stalked back into the room and got right in the female vamp's face.

"You're going to tell me everything you know, right now, or you'll find out how long a vampire can survive buried in the ground without ANY limbs at all. Got it?"

She nodded.

-

Willow was sitting in a room talking to the lions. They needed her to open the box. The box contained a picture of a summer sky. The summer sky had clouds that looked like frogs. The frogs began to hop all over the place. Willow was afraid.

"I'm scared!" she called out. "Help please!" The frogs were hopping on her laptop typing something. Willow read the screen. It said: We will kill you.

"Oh no!" she cried. "Please don't turn me into a fly!"

Oz was here! He would save her! Oz put his guitar down and ate the frogs. When he was done he wolfed out and told Willow that he enjoyed his time in France, but now he had to go because he was afraid he'd throw up that dead guy he ate that one time and he didn't want her to get stabbed by Katie. He left and Willow cried. She was comforted by Ms. Kitty Fantastico. Willow smiled indulgently as the cat played with the guitar strings. The cat played 'Enter Sandman'. Willow danced wildly to the music. She looked over and saw Xander with only one eye.

'That's not right.' Willow frowned. 'He always had two before.' The Xander that had one eye walked up to her and placed his arms around her. Willow was worried. Xander has two eyes and this man only has one. It must not be Xander! This was a trick. She pulled away and stared at the one eyed Xander.

"You are not Xander." she told him. "Xander has two eyes!"

"And an Anya!" Anya yelled from inside the safe. She was counting her moneys before they hatched.

One eyed Xander smiled sadly. "Yes he does. I must not be me." One eyed Xander turned around and walked away. Willow was worried. From the back she couldn't tell the difference between the Xanders. She didn't know if the one before her had two eyes or one. She followed him. Down a dark room. They walked far. Past Buffy and Tara picking out dresses that were obviously too gaudy for them. She was tempted to help them, but remembered how sad Xander looked. She hurried to catch up. They walked past the Dawnie and the door. They bowed courteously to each other, then began a furious kung-fu fight to the death. Willow watched for a second. She cheered for Dawnie, but couldn't stay. She needed to follow Xander.

"Wait!" she called after him. But he didn't slow down. they passed a man with a silver platter of, Willow looked closely, cheese?

"Protect the gorgonzola." he said definitively. "It will bring you fortune."

Willow backed away from the Cheese Man and fled. Nothing good would come of him. She wasn't overly fond of cheese anyway. Too arrogant. And besides, Xander needed her. She hurried after him.

"Where are you going?" She asked. "Why don't you wait for me?" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "We can go together!" This, truly, was the most wonderful idea she's ever had. Surely Xander would be happy. He stopped. The whistling that she hadn't noticed before began to grow. It became a howling. Not a wolfy howling, but a big chasmy howling. Xander had stopped before a chasm!

He turned around. "You can't be here. I don't want you to die." he said. "You need to wake up." The ground crumbled from under him. Willow ran to him and grabbed his hand before fell. She began to cry.

Xander's eye watered. "Xander has two eyes. And an Anya. I must not be me, for I have neither of those things." He smiled softly as he looked up at Willow, who was desperately holding his hand. "But I do have a Willow." He reached up and grabbed the surface while Willow pulled. Together they were able to keep Xander from falling into the chasm.

Willow hugged him and Xander pulled back without letting go. "I meant what I said before y'know."

Willow looked confused. "The bugs didn't actually taste all that bad?"

"First of all, No. Second of all, I said 'You need to wake up."

"Oh." So she did.

-

The first thing she saw was Xander's relieved grin.

"Hey." he said. Willow reached up and hugged him.

"Hey." she answered tearily. Willow remembered her dream and what Xander felt in it. "You're still Xander." She told him sternly.

Xander pulled back without letting go. "Sooo, how's your head?" He asked, looking her over to try and find the crazy.

Willow winced. "Fine until you said something." She looked over at Veronica, Wallace and Logan. "Who're they?"

"You don't remember?" Xander asked.

"If I did, would I ask you about them?" she said flatly.

He smiled at the sarcastic response. He turned to the onlooking teens. "Come forth and be counted young ones. You are before royalty."

Willow looked to the heavens in a 'why me' sort of way.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Royalty?" Xander nodded his head enthusiastically. "Ok." Logan stepped forward. "Logan Echolls, and I'm just as confused as I can be." He said cheerily.

Veronica rolled her eyes and introduced herself. "I'm Veronica, and this is Wallace." Wallace waved. "We were kinda hoping you could help us."

-

After some time had passed, Gunn and Spike arrived back at the hotel. They were greeted by the welcome sight of Willow sitting on the pouf in the middle of the room. She was reading one of Wesley's old spell books.

Spike grinned from ear to ear. "Well look who decided to get off her lazy arse and help."

Willow looked up at Spike. She should be mad at him for what he did to Buffy, not calling her and stuff, but it was hard to be angry at someone who was so obviously happy to see her.

"Hi Spike." She stood up and gave him a hug, surprising the hell out of him. "I'm glad to see you not dead." She pulled away. "Or, well dead, but not, y'know, dead." Willow smiled self-consciously. "Hi Gunn."

Gunn smile back. "Hey girl, how you feeling?"

Willow gave him a hug too and said she felt Ok. Spike looked around and put his hands in his pockets.

"So where's Droopy and the brats?" he asked.

"Xander and the kids," she corrected, "are on their way to Veronica and Wallace's hotel to get the rest of their stuff." She sat down and went back to her book. "They left me here so I could rest up if I'm going to do a locater spell for their families."

Gunn nodded and went off to clean himself up. Spike sat next to her.

"So you gonna hit me too?" He asked only half-joking.

Willow stared into her book. "I was seriously considering it," Spike tensed up, "but I figured getting beat up by Xander is punishment enough."

"Whelpy-boy did NOT beat me up." Spike said sourly. "He caught me by surprise, is all."

Willow smirked. "Uh-huh."

"HE DID!"

"Sure. Ok."

-

Angel stared at the pile of dust that was once his captive. She did not deliver anything even remotely like welcome news. He needed to get back to the hotel.


	18. Chapter 18

Veronica was quiet as they drove to pick up her their stuff from the hotel she and Wallace were staying at. This was supposed to be a fun trip. One last outing for her and her best friend before college. Before they started to make other friends. Well, Wallace would anyway. Veronica has a couple of tiny little personality quirks that, y'know, make it difficult for her to make nice. Behind her, Xander and Wallace were engaging in conversation. From the looks of it, Wallace was worried and Xander was doing his best to reassure him. Judging by the almost panicked look on young Wallace, Xander wasn't doing so hot.

"No! I didn't mean that!" Xander hastily corrected. "I'm sure that your mom won't become impregnated by a demon Incubus. I was just saying that Angel has had some experience in rescuing ladies."

Veronica and Logan shared a glance. That was some pretty freaky stuff. Sure, it sounded funny. Until you realized that it actually happened. This was her life now. She's become part of a world that has such things as Incubi and Succubi, and other horrible things that bump in the night before they feast on your still beating hearts and drain the soul from your body for dug trafficking. And of course, there's the impregnation. Veronica shuddered.

"So that sort of thing happens a lot?" Logan wanted to know. "Because the only Incubus I'm familiar with is of the musical variety."

Xander shrugged. "Nah. Most Succubi and Incubi you'd meet are in feeding mode. They suck the sexual energy from an appropriately horny youngster to get their food on. Relatively speaking, it's actually one of the least ..." Xander paused to find the right word to describe it, "destructive ways to be preyed upon."

Wallace was confused. "You just said that Angel had to rescue his friend from spawning the best case for abortion I ever heard."

"That's when they reproduce. The sexy energy drain isn't fatal, just harmful." Xander said. Wallace was in no way comforted by that answer. Logan was sorry he brought it up.

Veronica felt cold.

-

"Hey, could you do me a favor?" Willow asked Gunn when he walked down the stairs.

"Sure. What's up?"

Willow handed him a list she'd compiled of ingredients she'd need for her locator spells. "I need those in an hour, Ok?" She smiled sweetly.

Gunn scanned the list. It was longish and some ingredients were going to be hard to find. Especially the, he reread the item in question to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

"The blood of a black lamb?"

WIllow nodded seriously. "I need it to make the protection circle. It doesn't have to be fresh, just, y'know, black lamb-y." She made an impatient face. "We don't have much time buster, now MOVE!"

Gunn did. Quickly.

"Nice to see you haven't changed all that much. I remember when you used to do that to me." Angel commented from behind her. Willow spun on her heels and narrowed her eyes at the vampire. He was beginning to reconsider his previous statement.

"You... You... You..." Willow was struggling to come up with an appropriate insult, "... Jerkface!" The words were laughable, but the anger behind them was deadly. Angel winced. He broke the cardinal rule of dealing with witches: Don't piss them off. "Spike told me what you did!" He opened his mouth to ask just what that was. "Don't make excuses!" Willow interrupted. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "How could you Angel?" She asked him in a disappointed tone. Angel felt ashamed, and he didn't even know what this conversation was about. Willow is one of the few people left on Earth that he truly considers a friend. All in all, he preferred the yelling over quiet disappointment.

"They were just kids, and you were so mean to them." Ah. That.

Angel sighed and sat down on the pouf. Willow sat next to him. "I'm sorry. It's just, one of my friends died, and I'm not good with..." he paused, "...emotions."

"I'm sorry about your friend, but you yelled at children Angel. Children that had been through hell."

The vampire furrowed his brow. "I didn't yell, I was just..."

"... An ass." Willow finished for him.

He chuckled ruefully. "Yes, I was an ass AND a jerkface. You're right. I shouldn't have been rough on them." Angel frowned. "I even made one of them cry." He admitted shamefully.

"Now you have to make it up to them." Willow informed him.

"How?"

"You'll find a way." The 'or else' was implied.

Angel leaned back against the pouf and rubbed his forehead.

-

"Stop the car!" Xander demanded.

Logan was confused. "What?"

"Stop the car now!" Xander repeated. Logan pulled over, and the watcher jumped out the door.

"Where's he going?" Wallace asked. All he got for an answer was a shrug.

Veronica opened her door and ran after him.

"Hey!" Logan shouted.

"Whoa!" Wallace exclaimed. The two of them hurried to follow.

Veronica slowed her chase when she arrived at an ally. Similar to the one she and Wallace were attacked by. She could hear fighting. All of a sudden a young woman ran screaming out. There was blood on her neck.

"Oh my god." She whispered. Veronica heard a sound she'd never really heard before, but knew, almost instinctively, that it was the roar of an angry vampire.

Xander yelled. Wallace and Logan caught up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Her boyfriend demanded. "Is this fun for you? Do you honestly like giving me heart attacks? Because I should warn you..."

"Logan shut up." she said distractedly. Another roar sounded off.

"Oh man. Is that what I think it is?" Wallace asked, remembering what Spike sounded like when he growled at Logan. Veronica nodded her head. Wallace cradled his broken arm protectively. "Shit."

"What?" Logan was still confused. "What's going on?" Veronica declined to answer. Instead, she headed into the ally. "Veronica!" He chased after her. Wallace didn't move.

Veronica turned the corner and saw it. A vampire. It was holding Xander by the neck and taunting him.

"Well," it started, "because you made my meal run away, you get to take her place."

"Oh please." Xander managed to choke out. "Like I haven't heard you vamps say that a million times." He kicked the demon in the crotch. The vamp dropped him and he continued his diatribe. "I mean, what is it with you guys? You have all eternity to come up with some witty banter, but all I get is the same old, same old." Xander sighed as he brutally kicked the vampire in the face. He pulled out a stake he had hidden up his sleeve. "No class." He rolled the vamp over and prepared to plunge his weapon in the monster's heart. Unfortunately, the demon had other plans. He managed to stop the stake and punched Xander in the stomach.

"Oof! I was using that." He said, in pain. Xander fell backwards and the vampire got to his feet. He loomed over the winded watcher.

"Don't worry. You won't be for much longer."

"Spare me from bad dialogue." Xander begged.

Veronica came from nowhere and tackled the gloating vampire. He pushed the girl off and backhanded her for good measure. She did not get back up.

"NO!" screamed Logan. He glared at the vampire. "You're going to pay for that!" The demon laughed as the angered young man charged him.

"LOGAN DON'T!" Xander shouted, but it was too late. The vampire easily dodged Logan's clumsy attack and grabbed him by the throat.

He looked at his hostage for a second. "Hey! Don't I know you?" The demon thought for a bit. "Yeah. Yeah! You're Aaron Echolls' kid!" He chuckled. "Boy, was I fan of your pop! I've seen, like, a million of his movies! I think my favorite was 'Breaking Point'. Aaron really mastered the role of a ..." The vampire looked down at the wooden tip pointing out of his chest. "Aw fu..."

The vampire dusted, leaving Logan to fall to the ground coughing. Xander put his stake away and helped him up. Logan ran over to where Veronica lay.

"Oh no. Oh please no!" He begged, fearing the worst. Xander came up behind him and clasped his shoulder.

"Don't worry. She's only knocked out." He fished out some smelling salts. "This should help."

Logan stared at them. "What, do you just carry that stuff around all the time?"

Xander nodded. "Pretty much."

Logan grabbed them and waved them under Veronica's nose. She woke up coughing and sputtering.

"Oh thank god." Logan hugged her close to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

Xander looked back to the ally's entrance where an emotional looking Wallace stood, protectively holding his cast. He stared at the scene before him with shame in his eyes.

-

The rest of the car ride to the hotel was done in silence. Veronica refused to go back to the hospital unless it was absolutely necessary. All she wanted to do was go get her stuff and go back to the Hyperion. Actually, what she really wanted to do was sleep until she was sure she was dreaming. She'd wake up and Wallace's arm wouldn't be broken, her jaw wouldn't hurt so damn badly, and she would NOT be holding back tears of despair by the shear force of will. She looked down and saw that her hands were shaking.

Veronica really despised vampires.

Wallace hated himself.

He just stood there, watching. His best friend, a girl who practically adopted him into her family, jumps in to save a dude she hardly knows, gets put down in the process, and he just stands there shaking like he was some kind of punk bitch. Wallace sighed in disgust. He looked at his ruined arm and felt tears well up in his eyes. He wanted to be an engineer so badly, and the only way he could afford college was his basketball scholarship. With his arm in this condition, he wouldn't be able to play, and if he can't play, goodbye Hurst, goodbye degrees, hello Doublemeat Palace. Wallace put his arm down and stared at the back of Veronica's head. The future, once so bright and promising, has become just another thing to be afraid of.

Wallace wished he wasn't so scared.

Logan would rather be in Tijuana .

There, life was so much simpler. There, you don't have to worry about whether or not your girlfriend has brain damage because she got beat by a freaking vampire. Of course, in TJ, he'd be up to his ears in donkey shows, stupid bimbos, and Dick Casablancas doing his 'funky dance of love'. He wondered, really, what was worse. Inter-species erotica, Dick's dancing, or a vampire freak show? That was certainly a toss up. He snorted quietly in morbid amusement. Dick would make a terrible vampire. Logan glanced at his girlfriend. Veronica , however, would make a terrifying one. Unless the explanation he'd heard was inaccurate, (and since it was from a couple of vampires, he really doubted it was) all of Veronica's intelligence, will, stubbornness, and cunning would be used to power a demon.

Logan Echolls shuddered at the thought and refused to wonder what he'd be like if he was turned.

Xander Harris stared at the kids that almost died on his watch and, for a moment, he felt so god damned old.

-

It was getting late. They only had a couple of hours until Veronica and Wallace were supposed to offer themselves up for the slaughter in order to save their families. Willow sighed. She hadn't missed California at all. Ok, Disney Land is fun, and the sun really can't be beat. South America couldn't pull off that perfect mix of heat and humidity. But still! At least the Amazon didn't have random kidnappings of... oh wait, there was that time when Riley's daughter got taken. All right, at least the demons don't go around setting up traps that get sweet little old snitches killed. Except for when Eddie got smooshed by that Thesolo demon. Willow sighed again. At least she was right about the weather.

She went to work. Gunn had managed to pull through with the ingredients for her spells. Willow was just making a circle with the lamb's blood, when Xander and the kids came barreling through the front doors.

Xander took one look at what Willow was doing and asked a question. "Ok, I'm not exactly Dr. Strange, but aren't we supposed to make protection circles AWAY from the scary pentagrams?"

Willow made a confused face. "Huh?" Xander gave her his patented, world famous, 'DUH!' expression. "Oh! You mean this pentagram." She shook her head. "It's all right. The magic in it has had way too much time to dissipate. All that's left is just a creepy pattern." Willow shot him a cheery grin that faded when she saw the shaken and bruised teens.

"What happened?!" She rushed up to them, mothering instincts in full effect. She pulled Veronica forward and started to inspect the girl's face, which was now one big bruise. Willow made her sad noise. "Aw, sweetie." She looked back to Xander. "What happened?"

Logan answered for him. "We fought off a ... what was it? Oh yes ... a vampire." He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked a little on his heels. "The vampire managed to take down Van Hellsing over there," he nodded his head towards Xander, "so my best girl did the crazy and tackled him. The vampire." He added for clarification.

Willow turned back to Veronica. "You saved Xander's life?"

Veronica flushed a little. "Oh. Well... I... um..."

"She sure did." Xander piped in. "She came from out of nowhere and took that bad vamp down." He grinned nostalgically. "It was very Scoobies '98."

Wallace looked up from were he'd been sulking. "What?"

Willow smiled a bit nostalgically herself. "Buffy had run away for a summer. Some bad stuff happened. You know how it is. So me, Xander, and my then boyfriend Oz handled all the slaying. We had a 48 percent success rate." She said proudly. "Of course this was before I had powers, and before Xander learned how to kick ass and take names, right Xand?"

He puffed up a bit. "That's right." He grabbed Willow's arm, and pulled her close. "Now, gimme some sugar baby." He demanded in his best Bruce Campbell impersonation.

Willow smirked. "Pfft. Yah right." she pulled away from him and turned her attention back to Veronica. "You. Go upstairs and get some rest. You can use my room." Veronica opened her mouth to protest. "See this?" Willow pointed to her face. "This is my resolve face. You don't argue with it. Xander do you argue with it?"

"Only if I want to wake up with boobies." Xander looked down at his chest, as though imagining it. He wiggled his torso a bit. "Hot."

Despite the absolutely terrible mood she was in, Veronica saw this, and laughed. It was a bit hysterical, but genuine.

"Ok, now that that's out of the way," Willow grabbed Veronica's arm gently and passed her off to Logan, "take her to bed!"

Logan smiled and saluted. "Yes Ma'am!" Then he lead his girlfriend up the stairs.

Willow blushed when she realized what she said. "I meant rest!" She called after them. Veronica laughed again.

Wallace got up from his perch and began to peruse the list of ingredients.

"Lamb's blood?"

-

Gunn was in the basement. He was pounding away at he punching bag that was set up. He couldn't get the sight of those kids out of his head. He was used to it, the deaths and the brutality and the horrors. Except for when the vamps go after kids. That's a different story.

He threw a hard right, then a left, trying to drown the memories with the sounds of flesh impacting tape.

Once, while he was still running with his crew, they hunted down a vamp that targeted homeless kids. When they cornered her, she mocked them with how many she'd killed. She said she liked the taste of innocent blood, but because they were so small, it took a lot of them to get full. One of his boys, Mickey, lost his brother to the bitch, and when he heard her boasting, he lost his temper too. Mickey attacked before the order was given. The vampire wasn't alone and more came from out of the shadows. Three of Gunn's crew died that night. Mickey included, though he managed to get the monster that killed his brother first. He was Alonna's first love and she was devastated.

The punches flew harder and faster.

It took her almost two years to get back some of what Mickey took with him. Then she died. Got turned into a vamp. When Gunn found her she was talking to him like she wasn't any different, like she was still his sister.

The skin on his knuckles broke and began to bleed.

She was cool, calm, and funny. She wanted to make him like her. She wanted to keep the family together.

Tears formed in Gunn's eye and mingled with the sweat that covered his body as he launched hit after hit, remembering how tempted he was.

He can't forget it, the look of shock and betrayal on her face when he staked her. That's what he sees when he thinks of his sister. Not the way she laughed, or talked, or how she moved.

Gunn closed his eyes. There was blood on her breath as she leaned toward his neck.

"Say goodbye to everything you ever knew." Alonna told him. And when he killed her, he did.

The bag burst, spilling it's sands upon the ground.

-

Veronica wouldn't be able to rest. The idea was laughable. Her parents have been kidnapped for Christ's sake! No way on this green earth could she even relax, let alone sleep. Making out with her boyfriend? Now that was different. Yes. If it weren't for the simple little fact that her jaw ached worse than a three dollar hooker's, she would definitely make out with Logan. Or argue with him. Or screw him blind. Something, anything to take her mind off of the waiting.

If there was one thing in this world Veronica hated more than the idea of sacrificing her soul in order to save her parents lives and then have it turned into demon drugs, it was waiting to sacrifice her soul in order to save her parents lives and then have it turned into demon drugs.

These were the thoughts that ran through her mind as she lay in bed. Logan, ever the gentleman, sat on a chair by said bed. They didn't speak. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but when he tried, she just shied away.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked, doing his best to keep his frustration with her out of his voice. Veronica shook her head dumbly. "Are you sure? Because I'm your boyfriend, and I'm pretty sure that boyfriends are supposed to do something in times like these." She didn't respond. "Yeah, Ok." He leaned back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling.

"I told her I was through with her." Veronica said suddenly. Logan sat up, a confused look on his face. "My mom. That was the last thing I said to her." He watched as a single tear leaked from her right eye. "She's my mother, and I gave up on her." Veronica swallowed. "She was sick, and because she couldn't get better fast enough for me, I kicked her out."

"Veronica..." Logan started.

"No. I know this isn't my fault. My dad was kidnapped first, and I never got around to giving him the boot." She turned on her side and looked at him. "I just don't want that to be the last thing I ever say to her." She sniffed a little. Logan reached out and held her hand. Veronica smiled and kissed the back of his.

"Hey, you heard Xander. Angel's pretty good at this sort of thing." Logan kneeled down next to the bed and looked her straight in the eyes. "We'll get them back, and then you can tell her anything you want."

Veronica nodded and began to cry in earnest. She pulled her boyfriend close and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're here."

Logan didn't say anything. He didn't have to. He simply held her close.

-

Illyria stood across from the Hyperion, a hesitant look on her face. She closed her eyes as a lifetime of memories washed over her.

Daddy bringing Soc home for the first time.

The sounds of agony as a wondrous and luminous being died. It's crime was causing Illyria to feel something other than the subtle joys of conquest or the inexorable satisfaction that came only with ruling.

Her first chemistry set.

The subjugation of yet another world, it's sagacious beings brought into the service of a god-king.

The way her momma would yell at her for leaving her stuffed bunny, Faigenbaum the Master of Chaos, all over the place.

The glaciers that rippled with insensate lust dying before Illyria, melting in fear and awe.

Walking down the street with Tony Wellington, hoping he'd take her hand.

Fighting the armies of the Wolf, Ram and Hart.

The racing of her heart as Charles kissed her for the first time.

The utter grief felt by Wesley's death.

Her realization that she loved him.

The raw emotion of having a soul.

Knowing the exact moment when you've lost your sanity.

Writing equations and mathematical theory on the walls of her cave.

Cordelia's smile.

Her funeral.

The understanding that defeat can happen to even gods.

Laughing with Knox.

Feeling nothing over his death.

The lessening, the raping, of her power.

How safe she felt when she was with Angel.

How Spike gave up his chance at being corporeal to save her.

Illyria remembered her life, and quailed under the weight of it.

She needed. It was not a feeling to which she was accustomed. Fred's memories showed whenever that happened to her, family and friends were there. Her... Fred's parents were too far for her needs. But Angel, Charles, and Spike were not.

Illyria walked across the street.


	19. Chapter 19

Wallace wandered through the hotel exploring the various floors. It was interesting to see the stark contrast between the habitable floors and the dilapidated ones. So far, only the lobby, top floor, and second floor was livable. There were others that showed signs of restoration, but it looked as if those had returned to ruin. The young man walked into one of the rooms. He sat down on a dusty and creaky bed. It was fitting, he imagined, to be in such a setting. After all, he just stood there while Veronica got punched in the face (again!) for doing her hero thing.

Wallace wanted to blame it on the cast, he really did, but then he'd just be lying to himself. The truth of the matter was, he was afraid. He'd been beat up before. Taped to flagpoles and stuff. That wasn't new. Same for breaking his arm. What was new however, was the ease in which he was defeated. That vampire picked him up like he was nothing. He broke Wallace's arm, and maybe ruined his life, with even more ease. If those guys were humans and they'd beaten him up like that, it would be different. It would have been a simple case of superior skills or something. Not a predator playing with it's prey.

Prey.

He was prey. Those things were built to kill people. Wallace shuddered and tried to think of something else. Anything to get his mind off of vampires. He snorted humorlessly to himself. He could always obsess about his missing family. No. That won't do any good. There must be something useful he could do around here.

Wallace got up, brushed himself off, and walked downstairs ...

... Only to crash into an extremely solid blue lady and falling on his ass.

Wallace stared up at her. She stared back.

"You are Wallace Fennel. Your family has been taken against their will." Her gaze became distant. "I ... I can relate to what your family is experiencing." She refocused her attention to Wallace. "I offer you my service in retrieving them." The blue lady reached down and pulled the young man to his feet. "I promise, should any harm come to you or your kin, we shall be serenaded by the noise the kidnappers make as I dismantle their execrable bodies."

Wallace stared at her. Before he could say anything, however, she continued. He was startled by a sudden change in her demeanor. She went from, Wallace couldn't even describe it it was so alien, to something resembling human.

"Don't worry. Angel will rescue your loved ones." She smiled slightly. "Saving people from monsters is what he does best." With that, the blue lady turned from him and walked into the lobby like she owned the place.

She stopped in front of an intently working Willow. When it became clear the witch wouldn't notice her, Illyria cleared her throat. When that didn't work, Illyria rolled her eyes and raised her voice.

"Willow Rosenburg."

Willow looked up from her work. "Illyria?" She got to her feet. "Hey." She said warily. "You're not gonna, y'know, punch me again are you?"

Illyria shook her head. "No. I..." she paused looking for the right words. "You were correct. I did not like what you had to say. I still don't, yet even I cannot deny the truth in them."

Willow was a little stunned. That was probably the closest thing to an apology that the god-king has ever come to. "O.. Ok."

"Where is Angel? I have come to assist."

Willow pointed to the basement. "Him and Spike are down there talking to Gunn." Illyria nodded her thanks and left.

Wallace had watched this conversation, unsure of what he should be feeling. The blue lady, Illyria, said she was going to help, but she looks kinda demonic. He shrugged. If Willow the Witch wasn't too freaked, then he wouldn't be either.

He walked up to a thoughtful looking Willow. "I need something to do."

"Huh?" Willow diverted her attention to the young man before her. "What?" Wallace repeated what he said. "Oh. Um, well I don't really need any help here, but maybe you could find Xander? Sorry." She added sheepishly when she saw Wallace's face.

He nodded and asked where the older man was. She told him he was upstairs checking up on a friend of theirs.

-

"Don't worry Buffy. With the exception of an uncomfortably large amount of male nudity, curing Will was a cinch." He smirked evilly. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Wallace walked into the room and Xander made the universal wait gesture to him. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you soon Ok?" He rolled his eye. "I'll be careful. Don't worry. And hey, I'm not the one Donny Brasco-ing it up. YOU be careful." He smiled. "You too Buff. Bye." He hung up the phone and turned to Wallace.

"What's up?"

Wallace shrugged. "I just don't wanna sit on my ass while everybody else is doing stuff."

Xander nodded understandingly. "Gets kinda frustrating huh? Well, why don't you come with me?" He put his arm around Wallace's shoulder and led him back downstairs. "I was just about to get the weapons prepped. And while we do that, you can tell me what's up for real."

Wallace looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's up? The restlessness is part of it, but you have 'guilty' written all over."

Wallace pulled out from under Xander's arm. "Why would I be guilty?" He questioned hotly.

Xander held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't say you were. Ok, maybe I implied it, but..." He shrugged. "What I meant was, why do you FEEL guilty?"

Wallace didn't say anything, but Xander could guess. He remembered the look on the kid's face back at the alley. He was ashamed. Xander considered what to say to him as they began their work. He tried to come up with something that would be beneficial to the kid's moral. While he was instructing Wallace on the proper way to prep a crossbow, he figured it out. Xander stopped working and looked at the younger man.

"Get over it." He said.

"What?"

"For now." Xander explained. "You need to focus on rescuing your family. They need you. When that's done, you can feel however you want to. I know it's tough, putting aside your feelings like that, but for your family, you can do it." Wallace didn't say anything, he just went back to his work. Xander sighed mentally. He needed to try something else. "Way back in high school, I wasn't exactly a badass. My motto was to laugh in the face of danger, then hide until it went away. I didn't know how to help. I wasn't strong enough, no matter how many times I tried to fight. It took me a couple of years to come to terms with that."

Wallace stared down at the crossbow that was in his hand. "How'd you do it?"

"I got beat up by demons a lot. And stared down a zombie. Really helped to put things into perspective. It showed me that I didn't necessarily have to be a fighter to be useful. I mean yeah Ok, I see a vamp, I take it down, but I don't go out looking for them anymore." He looked at Willow and smiled. "There are other ways I can help my friends." Willow glanced up and waved. He waved back. "Sometimes the best thing you can do is be there for them. Be a shoulder to cry on, someone to fix a window, or just tell them they look pretty when some guy they like doesn't notice them, but good god!" Xander grabbed Wallace by the sides of the face. "When they ask you if something makes them look fat... RUN! Don't answer and just get out of the house!"

"Dude." Wallace said through his cheeks, "Let go of me."

Xander sat back, embarrassed. "Sorry. PTSD. My friend Dawnie asked me that before we came to LA." He shuddered, and Wallace laughed.

-

"Last time I checked, I was a grown man!" Gunn said coolly. "So why do I gotta answer to you two?"

Angel leaned back against the wall. "You don't." He folded his arms. "But I'd like an explanation."

"One that justifies making the same mistakes all over again!" Spike sneered.

Gunn threw him a heated glare. "Chill Blondie Bear." He turned back to Angel, but before he could say anything, Spike slammed him against the wall.

"Now listen up Charlie Boy. I give exactly no shits about you. I just wanna make sure you didn't accidentally fuck over your friends again with your stupid ass inferiority complex!" He let go of Gunn roughly. "It's not our fault were better than you. Get over it."

Gunn clenched his fists, ready to strike. He would have too, if not for Angel's interference. "Gunn, Spike cool it. We have other things to worry about right now. You two want to fight to the death? Great. Less I have to deal with. But not until AFTER we help Veronica and Wallace. Understood?" His expression dared the two of them to argue. They didn't. "Good. Gunn's right. It's his life. But if I find out your eye is used for evil in any way, I'm going to be very angry."

Gunn rolled his eye. "Whatever man. If the doc uses my eye for anything bad, I'll know. And I'll be free to stop him too."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Spike asked.

"We wrote up a contract. A mystical one?" He added of off their questioning looks. "Did you all forget that I'm a lawyer trained by Wolfram and Hart?" He shook his head. "In the very fine print of article C of paragraph twelve, it says: Should the payment for this transaction be used in an unseemly fashion, the recipient of said payment forfeits any and all immunity earned upon completion of said transaction. If that happens, the contract self-destructs, and then I'll know he's in violation of our terms."

Spike and Angel traded looks. Gunn sighed. "Didn't you two spend a whole year surrounded by lawyers?"

"I know what you said Gunn." Angel corrected. "What I don't know is why he even allowed a contract in the first place."

Gunn snorted. "I'm a lawyer. I don't buy groceries without writing up some documentation." He shrugged. "And in this case, it's mystical, not legal."

Angel nodded. "An early warning system."

Spike was still confused. "Didn't you come to him? Why didn't he just tell you to piss off?"

"He wanted the eye of a champion. And it had to be freely given, not stolen or forcibly removed."

"Why did he want it?" Spike asked. Gunn shrugged. It wasn't his business until it was. "Wonderful." The blonde vampire sneered. He turned around to head upstairs, he'd had enough of the company, only to stop at the bottom.

Illyria was walking down.

"Hello pet." Spike tilted his head and looked upon her with affection. "How are you?"

Illyria stopped before him, and addressed the room. "I offer a trade."

Angel raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Gunn. "What sort of trade?" He asked her.

"I will assist you in your efforts to protect this world, and in return you will..." she paused to consider her words. "You will insure I adapt to my current circumstance."

"And what circumstance would that be luv?" Spike questioned from beside her, knowing full well the answer.

Her brow furrowed, and Angel noticed with a start that her eyes were brown. "The dichotomy of my duel natures causes discomfort. I do not like it." Illyria walked as she spoke. Her movements, so alien and disjointed when she first awoke from her sarcophagus, have become graceful. Fluid. She'd become accustomed to that body. "I remember my life. All of it. The division of Illyria and Fred grows weaker, and cacophonous emotions plague me." She stopped in front of Gunn and touched his face gently. "I remember you." She said softly. Her eyes widened as if suddenly realizing what she was doing. Illyria flinched, and pulled back quickly. "I remember too much!" She said, shaking her head. "Too much."

Angel, Spike, and Gunn watched in amazement as a tear fell from Illyria's eye.

Illyria hugged herself. "Help me?"

Angel embraced his friend. "Always."

-

As they cuddled together on the bed, (their cloths were completely on thank you very much) Veronica felt a certain sense of ease. She looked up at Logan. The ass had actually fallen asleep! She smiled as best she could with her bruises, and snuggled into his chest.

She stared out into space with a thoughtful expression while idly tracing circles on Logan's stomach.

Veronica was worried about Wallace. She knows her best friend like the back of her hand. Something was bugging him. Other than the obvious. She should find him.

"Logan?" She got up and nudged her boyfriend. "Logan?"

"Nrmphf." he rolled over and hugged his pillow.

Veronica frowned and poked his ribs. "Logan!"

"I don't want the tater-tots!" He exclaimed, waking up. "Huh?" Logan sat up and faced her. "What's up?"

"Tater-tots?" Veronica asked with a smirk.

"There were too many of them." He said matter-o-factly. "So again. What's up?"

Deciding to let it slide, Veronica informed him of her intentions to go and talk with Wallace. Logan nodded his assent and got to his feet. They clasped hands and headed out.

They were halfway to the elevator when Xander met up with them.

"Hey guys. They need you downstairs. Willow's ready to cast her spell."

-

Everybody had gathered in the lobby. Willow stood in her circle of protection with Wallace and Veronica sitting cross legged facing each other.

"Now normally, I would only need a map and something from the people I'm looking for, but earlier, I went snooping around to try and see what kind of spells, if any, were being used to conceal your families." Willow began anointing some smelly gel on Veronica's face. She was careful not to agitate the bruises. "And sure enough, there were a couple of doozies. We're talking full on Hidden Spectra, Seclusion, and I even thought I saw Deflection of Sight." Willow inspected her work, then nodded in satisfaction. She turned to Wallace who was watching the whole thing with a dubious expression. She started anointing the gunk on him too. He looked around Willow to see Veronica's face. She shrugged at him. "What that means," Willow continued, pulling his face back so she could finish anointing him, "is that the people who took your folks are pros."

Willow inspected her work, nodded, and sat down cross legged between the teens. "Which is bad because now I have to keep from being detected as well as find your families. That's where you two come in. The blood relation will make it easy to get a location, leaving me free to avoid detection."

"What about a map? Don't we need one?" Veronica asked.

Willow shook her head. "The spell I'm using will tell us what we need to know. The information will just pop into your head. Well, my head, and then I'll put it on a map. Or I could tell you the address, or we could just go. But I don't think that would be a good idea. Ok, ready?"

Willow's eyes turned black and she began.

"Concentrate on your loved ones." She commanded. Willow muttered the spell. "I see a father and his daughter on a sunlit beach." She frowned. "Veronica, you need to stop thinking about your old boyfriend, and concentrate on your parents!" Veronica glanced at Logan, who was staring back at her. "Not him! He's not missing!" Veronica shut her eyes and concentrated on her father.

Willow chanted. "I see a mother and a brother. The brother is empty."

Wallace opened his eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"

Willow's face turned ugly. "Don't worry about it now. If I get caught, they'll kill them dead. I need you to focus!" Wallace closed his eyes again. "Good" Willow said approvingly. "Good. I see a father weeping for his daughter. Weeping for his wife?" Willow shook her head. "I don't see her." Lightning danced between her eyes. "The spells are fighting me!" She started to struggle. "Just a little bit more." She begged. "I'm almost there!" The lightning sparked from her fingers, striking Wallace and Veronica.

"NO!" Logan shouted and tried to go to his girlfriend. Angel and Xander held him back. "Let go!"

"You can't break the circle!" Angel yelled.

"If you do, they'll loose their only chance!" Xander said to the struggling young man.

"I don't care!" He shouted. "Veronica!"

Angel had him, he wasn't going anywhere.

The lightning flowed continuously between all three of them. Entangling them in a web of brilliant energy.

With no warning, the lightning vanished, and they all fell over.

"Willow!" "Veronica!" Xander Logan shouted at the same time. They let go and ran in to check on their respective loved ones.

Willow coughed a little. She looked blearily at her best friend.

"I did it. I know where they are."

-

Angel let Willow and the kids recover in the lobby, while everybody else convened in his office. The witch had marked the place where the kidnapped were being held.

"Illyria, you want to help? Go to this site. Scout it out, and report back." Illyria nodded and ran out the door, faster than anyone could track. Angel stared at the spot the former god-king once occupied. "I meant after the meeting." He sighed. "Ok. Gunn. You and Xander get the weapons prepped."

"Done." Xander said. "Me and Wallace took care of it already."

Spike smirked. "Oh really? And when did young Wallace become a weapons smith?"

"He didn't, but the kid needed something to do, so... Anyway, I double checked his work. Weapons are done."

"Fine. Then get some supplies ready. Bandages, ammo, whatever. I don't want to be unprepared when we attack this place. "

Logan raised his hand. "I take it this means we won't be going to the warehouses?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Smart boy."

Angel shook his head. "No. This isn't what we thought. Going there would be a mistake."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked.

Angel leveled a hard stare at Logan, making the kid fidget. "What, did you want a hug?"

"Get Veronica in here. There's something she needs to know."

Logan left without comment. He arrived a few minutes later with a nervous looking Veronica. Wallace and Willow came in behind them.

Angel kicked Spike out of a chair and offered it to Veronica. She sat.

"What's up?" She asked in an attempt at nonchalant.

Angel sighed and leaned against his desk. "A few hours ago, Gunn, Spike and I attacked a place I believed, either held your families, or information concerning their whereabouts. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. But we were able to learn the reason why they were kidnapped."

Veronica frowned. "So it wasn't because we're potential champions?" She asked. Angel shook his head. "Then what was it?"

"I was interrogating a vampire. Trying to find out who it's boss was." He hesitated, not wanting to say what was coming next. "She said it was Lianne Mars."

Stunned silence was his only response.

"What?" Logan shouted. "No way!"

"Why the hell would she do that?" Wallace demanded.

Veronica shook her head. "She wouldn't. No. That's my mother! She got kidnapped too!" She stood up. "You heard that phone call! She's needs my help!"

Xander spoke up. "The vamp might have been lying. Trying to get you confused."

Veronica nodded, eager to grasp any explanation. "That must be it."

Angel glared at Xander a moment before turning back to Veronica. "The vampire said it was working for another vampire."

Veronica stared at Angel with a wounded expression. "What are you saying?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"I'm saying that your mother was turned into a vampire and arranged to kidnap your father in order to get to you."

Veronica didn't say anything. She just lowered her head and looked at her hands.

After a few seconds, she spoke. "What about Wallace's mother and brother? Why would Mom..." She couldn't finish her question.

She began to cry and Logan pulled her into a hug.

Wallace watched her sadly. "She's right. Why would her mom want MY mom?"

"Oh my God!" Veronica said suddenly. "Your mom dated my dad!"

Wallace swore.

Spike whistled. "That would do it alright."


	20. Chapter 20

They said her mother was dead. Undead to be precise. How does one deal with that? The obvious answer would be grief. If you were anybody else, someone who isn't sitting in a hotel owned by a vampire for example, one might say the obvious answer would've been incredulity.

The idea that someone you love, someone who raised you is dead would be difficult enough to except, but to be told that they're now a vampire who arranged the kidnapping of your father? Well that's just gravy.

Veronica paced a little in Angel's office. He'd just dropped that particular bombshell on her and quite frankly, she thought she was taking it well.

"So Mom kidnaps Alicia, Wallace's mother, because she dated my dad?"

Angel nodded. "Seems that way."

Gunn shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

Spike grinned. "I've known a few jealous vamp ladies in my time. You're lucky she didn't kill her." Everybody glared at Spike, who then glanced at an ashen faced Wallace. "Oh right. I'm sure nothing like that will happen." He said hastily.

Logan laughed. Veronica looked at him. "Sorry. I was just thinking that it was a good thing MY dad wasn't around." Veronica conceded the point and everybody else stared. "He'd just try and option this for a movie."

Everyone nodded their head in understanding.

"Who do you think they'd get to play me?" Spike asked.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Not the issue Spike."

"So what do we do?" Wallace asked. "My mom's till in trouble. Not to mention my brother, who's somehow, 'empty.' Whatever that means." He said in disgust. "I hate this shit. I really do."

"We come up with a plan, then we implement it." Angel said confidently. "This is no different than anything else we've handled. You leave it to us, and we'll get your families back."

-

Illyria sat hidden in the shadows outside Lianne's base of operations. She watched the half-breed patrols. Taking stock of their measure, counting their numbers. They were found wanting. In the past, she would have slaughtered them all. Heedless of the danger to the hostages. Their spines and skulls would be made an example to all who dared contradicting those whom she sided with.

But that was in the past. Now, her new conscience would not forgive the loss of even one life. In fact, the thought of harm coming to the Fennel baby filled Illyria with a rage even she fears.

The current situation reminded her of a previous event.

Shortly after her power was diminished, she and Wesley were sent out on a mission for Wolfram and Hart. Actually, it was Wesley's mission. She just tagged along. They were to rescue a child that had been taken prisoner by Howler Demons. The demons demanded ransom from one of the firm's wealthier clients, and Angel dispatched Wesley to handle the delivery.

"I do not understand." Illyria told him.

"What don't you understand?" Wesley asked as he prepped the money.

"You are giving in to their demands. Angel instructed you to kill the demons and make evidence the folly of their actions."

"Yes, I suppose he did."

"Then why do you bring currency?"

"This is a trap Illyria. We are setting a trap. Before the money is exchanged, we kill the demons, rescue the baby, and then go home in time for tea." He finished sarcastically.

"Your tone offends me." She said dangerously.

"Then kill me." He said simply. "I certainly can't stop you."

Illyria stared at him. She wanted to do it. End his insolent tongue, but she couldn't. She knows now it was the soul's influence over her that saved his life, but at the time, she was confused by her hesitance.

Instead, she went with him to ensure a proper example of the demons was made, while Wesley saw to the baby's rescue. When he emerged victorious and carrying his precious bundle, Illyria felt something. It was swift, but frighteningly real.

Tenderness, that's what it was. She looked upon Wesley and the baby and felt tenderness. And loss, love, and a million other emotions that shocked her. Illyria fled that night. She fled into the world that had traitorously changed since her time.

All around her was pointless life. Offending in it's odor, repugnant in it's squalor. But they knew. They instinctively knew what it was to be. To exist. Illyria did not. She was no longer a god, and that was all she knew how to be. She had become less, and more. Her shell was human, and she decided that night to adapt. To learn more about being human.

Wesley told her it was not enough to be human in form. There had to be emotions. There had to be the sense of humanity that is birthright to every person. Ever.

Illyria possesses that sense. It was taken with Fred's soul. At the time, she did not recognize it for what it was. But now she knows, and she will die before failing Darrel Fennel.

She hurried back to the hotel to report her findings.

-

Willow was resting on the couch in the lobby. The location spell had been difficult. Her recent convalescence had weakened her more than she thought. Xander left the Angel's office to check up on her.

"How you doin Will?" He asked, sitting on the coffee table next to her.

"Like a dragon stepped on my head after a truck had it's way with me."

He grinned. "Lucky truck." Willow made a face in lieu of responding. Xander's grin faltered. "Can, uh, can I get you anything?"

"I'm good." She turned to look at him. "How are you holding up?"

Xander waved off any concern. "Don't worry about me."

"I can't help it. It's in my nature."

He snorted in amusement. "Ya think?" Xander held her hand and smiled reassuringly. "Thanks. I'll be okay."

Willow sat up and stared at him sadly. "I know I've said it a million times, but If you wanna talk about what happened in Africa..."

Xander moved to the couch and gave her a one-armed hug. "You'll be the first person I go to."

"You better." She said into his shoulder. "Or I'll do something really nasty to you. Like make your toes all hairy."

Xander pulled away and stared at her with a dubious expression. "My toes." He repeated flatly.

"Or something." She said sternly.

"Right."

-

Veronica was sitting down on the pouf in the lobby. Logan and Wallace to either side of her. She was leaning into her boyfriend and he had his arms around her.

"Do you know what my first memory is?" She asked.

Logan smirked. "Is it interrogating your teddy bear? Or maybe it's tattling on the kid who was eating paste in daycare."

Veronica smiled weakly. "Sorry Lover Boy. Looks like you failed the girlfriend test." Her face grew distant as she fell into the memory. "It was of my mother. I was about four, and she was in the kitchen making pizza. There was some italian song playing in the background and she was dancing and singing along to it." She swallowed and took a deep steadying breath. "I wandered in to see if I could help. She didn't notice me at first, but then I reached up and pulled the pizza down. That got her attention quick."

Wallace looked over, and gave a half-grin at that. Logan let out a full on laugh.

"Oh man! Was she pissed?" Her boyfriend asked.

"Kinda, but I managed to weasel out of it by crying my head off." Veronica's eyes began watering and her breathing grew labored. "The pizza..." She swallowed again. "The pizza fell on me. That's why I was crying. I was scared that I did something wrong." Her voice cracked as she said that. "Mom hugged me, pizza face and all, and told me it was okay." Her breathing was shallow and she began to tremble. "Oh God!"

There was a pressure pushing down on her chest, preventing air from reaching her lungs. Her head began to swim and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She had no control. Veronica pushed herself away from Logan's confining arms and stood up.

She needed air! She needed it now, or she'd die! The pressure in her chest was building. It needed to escape, but she didn't know how to let it out. Veronica got two steps before her legs gave away. The pounding in her ears grew louder still. Logan and Wallace rushed to her side. They were saying something. She couldn't hear them.

Her face was wet.

The pressure kept building, and building, until she exploded! Veronica let loose a wail of grief and misery that could be heard throughout the hotel, drawing everyone out. They all gathered around her as she broke down completely.

Logan pulled her close and held her tight.

"You're gonna be okay Veronica." Logan kissed her head as she sobbed. "You're gonna be okay."


	21. Chapter 21

Veronica could feel the sweat beading on her forehead and hear her heart racing in her ears. She swallowed nervously as she sat before her captor. She was wrong to come here and now she knew it.

The office was small, but cheerfully decorated with cute little knickknacks and heartbreakingly familiar photos. Veronica refused to look at them.

"Did you want something to drink? Maybe I can fix you a snack?"

This was agony. A sick parody of what Veronica really wanted. She tried not to cry as she thought, not for the first time, how she will never, ever, have it. Still, it was better to play along and hope to hell it buys her some time.

"No thanks." Her voice only shook a little. Dad would be proud.

"Are you sure?" she was asked. "It's no trouble." A small chuckle escaped. "I don't even eat this stuff anymore. Well, I don't need to, but every so often I get in the mood for something crunchy. Which means... I have peanuts!" They were presented to Veronica with a small flourish.

She shrugged. "I'm just not hungry."

Lianne Mars smiled knowingly, prominently displaying her fangs. The florescent lighting caused her yellow eyes to sparkle eerily in amusement. "Believe me honey, that'll change."

-

Then.

Everyone, save Willow, was gathered in Angel's office. He was going over the rescue plan.

"According to Illyria, there are at least 20 vampires, not including Lianne, that are patrolling her compound. They're all armed with assault rifles. Most of them are AKs, but they do have a couple of M14s. Gunn, I want you and Xander to take fall back positions. Not up for discussion!" Angel said sternly as both men tried to argue. "You're only human, enhanced or not," he said with a glare at Gunn. "Illyria, take Spike to where the holding cells are and get everybody out."

"Unacceptable," Illyria stated. "I wish to do violence. My part in this plan will not sufficiently meet this requirement."

"Don't worry about it Blue," Spike told her. "As soon as all the helpless are gone, the entire place will be ripe for a little bit the old ultra-violence."

Illyria smirked a little. "Point. You are correct Spike. This mission shall proceed like clockwork."

Angel blinked. Was that a joke? "No. After everybody's out, I want to be gone. This isn't an assault, it's a rescue."

"You would flee?" Illyria asked in surprise.

"If it means getting an infant safely away from vampires, then yes."

The ex-god with a soul considered that. "I see no flaw in your logic," she conceded. "But once the child is safe, I will return there to satisfy my urge."

"Fine."

"So what about you?" Gunn asked snidely, annoyed at being considered 'only human'. "What's big bad vampire gonna be doing?"

"Willow?" Angel said loudly.

Xander twitched. "Oh, I so did NOT just hear that!"

Willow walked into the office and slapped Xander upside the head. Spike laughed.

Angel realized how all that sounded. "I was just calling her into the office so she could explain my part of the plan," he said hastily.

Willow patted his shoulder sarcastically, before turning to address the room. "Do you guys remember when I said that Darrel was empty?"

"Are you kidding me?" Wallace asked. "That's all I've been thinking about."

The witch looked at him sadly, which did nothing to ease his nerves. "Well, I've figured out what that means." She held up the book she brought in with her. "If you look here, it gives detailed instructions on how to, 'extract'," the word was spat out, leaving a bitter taste, "a person's soul."

Wallace sat down, and Veronica covered her mouth in horror.

"You think they did it, don't you?" he asked. "You think they took out his soul?" Willow nodded. Wallace stood up and left.

Veronica made to follow him, but hesitated, looking back at the gathered people.

"Don't worry," Logan told her. "I'll fill you in." She smiled gratefully at him, then went after her friend.

Fortunately, she didn't have to go far. Wallace was sitting on pouf in the lobby.

"I don't know how to do it." He said to her.

"Do what?" She asked, sitting next to him.

He stood up and faced her. "Deal with this. All of this! That lady in there is a WITCH, and she says they stole my baby brother's soul! His soul! How can that happen Veronica? Please, tell me some way that's possible!"

There was nothing she could say, so she didn't say anything.

Wallace saw a spell book on the pouf. He picked it up. "This is how Veronica! This! Magic!" The book was sent flying. "I HATE IT!" He yelled ferociously, causing Veronica to flinch. "Nothing makes sense anymore!" Wallace fell backwards onto his rear, overcome with grief. "Nothing."

Wordlessly, and without hesitation, Veronica knelt by his side, pulled him close, and held tightly as he finally cried.

-

Now.

Gunn dragged an unconscious and bloody Xander into the back of Logan's SUV. "Drive!"

"Not without Veronica!"

Gunn glared at the kid. "If you don't get in the car and drive, right now, I swear on baby Jesus himself, that I will beat your ass so bad, you'll never be on the cover of Teen People again!"

Logan stared back unflinchingly. "I don't care."

-

Then.

"Angel's going after the soul," Willow told them. "Even once we get everyone out, without that soul, it won't matter. Lianne would still be free to blackmail Veronica whenever she wanted."

Willow felt Angel tense up angrily at the thought, and patted his arm comfortingly. "Once we get that soul, however, I'll be able to put it back into Darrel, and everything'll be fine."

-

Now.

"Mom!" Wallace cried. "Let go of me!" He struggled futilely against Spike. "Mom!"

"We have your brother to worry about!" Spike argued. "We need to go!"

Illyria looked at the blank face of Darrel Fennel with warm brown eyes. She clenched her fists, and those eyes turned steely blue.

"No," she said simply. "This is unacceptable."

-

Then.

Angel continued the briefing.

"Logan. I want you, Veronica, and Wallace in cars, with the engines running. If things get as hot as I think, we'll need to be able to get out of there quickly."

Logan thought about protesting, but then he remembered what happened in the alley the last time he went up against vampires. He got trounced. The only reason he's alive right now, was because that particular vampire was a fan of his father's. He mentally snorted in derision. For once, being his father's son was actually a good thing. Logan nodded his assent. Wait in the car. Good idea.

"I've got a car, but what about Veronica and Wallace?" he asked.

"Wallace can use my jeep." Gunn piped in.

"And Veronica can drive my car," Angel said, almost painfully. He'd just gotten his old ride back into good working order, and didn't really like the idea of letting someone else drive it. He sighed internally. The things one does for the greater good. "She has a good driving record, doesn't she? I mean, like, spotless good?"

-

Now.

"You seem surprised to see me Angel."

"I am," he admitted quietly. "Give me that jar, and you don't die today."

"What, this?" His opponent picked up Darrel's contained soul. "I rather like it. It's very blue." The jar was placed into a pouch. "You'll just have to fight me."

-

Then.

Veronica and Wallace were informed of their part in the plan. Veronica opened her mouth to argue, but was told by Angel it was either do what he says, or stay in the hotel. Given the choice, she'd go along, though the look on her face made him worry for his car.

The caravan of vehicles were soon on their way. The fighters were dropped off a few blocks from Lianne's compound, in order to keep the element of surprise. The kids were to pull up in front of the place, and wait with the engines running, after ten minutes had passed.

As planned, once they reached the building, they spit off into groups. Angel went after the soul, Spike and Illyria after the hostages, with Xander and Gunn making sure the entrance was clear.

Angel, Spike, and Illyria entered through the rooftop entrance, then split up.

Down at the front door, Gunn and Xander pulled out their weapons of choice. Gunn had his custom crossbow and hubcap axe, while Xander boasted a sword and a Super-Soaker filled with holy water. Not the greatest thing in the world, but it would do until he got his hands on one of those AKs.

Gunn rolled his eye, then kicked the door in. The vamp on the other side was decapitated before he even knew what was going on.

Xander rolled in after him, squirting everything in sight.

One of the vampires, a newbie who has never before been burned by water, panicked and fired back indiscriminately. The humans jumped behind a couch while the bullets whizzed overhead.

"You know what's worse than bringing a knife to a gunfight?" Gunn asked Xander with a glare. "Bringing a freaking squirt gun!"

Xander, who was pulling a water balloon out from somewhere, grinned. "Yeah, but the kids love 'em," he said as he tossed his rubbery projectile like a grenade. Three separate voices cried out in pain. The one-eyed carpenter/watcher/action-hero quickly got to his feet and squirted.

Gunn stared at his comrade with something akin to horror. "I'm gonna die, and it's gonna be his fault!" He braced himself, then jumped out from behind the couch and fired his crossbow.

Inside his cell, Keith Mars heard a noise. Actually, it was more like a series of noises. It wasn't Alicia, she stopped moving hours ago. No, they came from the other side of the door. It wasn't the usual noise either. There was no voice, taunting him, threatening his family. Weird. He lay Alicia down gently. She was sleeping, and he didn't want to wake her. Keith stood up and walked to the door. He looked through the small window and saw shadows moving. Yep, definitely weird. There was a leather clad arm raising a stake. It went down, and a shower of dust exploded upwards.

"Oh yes! Take that, bitches!" Keith heard a voice cry gleefully. Rapid fire gunshots screamed from the other side of his door. He looked back to see if the loud noise woke Alicia. It didn't. Good, he thought, I don't want her to panic again.

"Oi!" Screamed the voice in righteous indignation. "I'm a vampire, you twits! That's only gonna make me madder!"

Suddenly, the door was no longer in front of him. There was a loud wrenching, like metal twisting, then Keith was staring at a blue lady.

"You are being rescued," she told him.

He stared at her calmly. "Yes. Of course." He walked back to Alicia and picked her up. "I don't suppose you could grab Darrel, could you?"

Illyria picked up the little boy and exited the cell.

Outside, Veronica, Wallace, and Logan, were all waiting tensely. Each of them were nervous. What differed, was how they handled that nervousness.

Logan kept on fiddling with things. His cell phone, the radio, his shirt, the steering wheel, a stake that was left behind, the radio again, whatever he could do to occupy his hands. What he really wanted to do, was grab Veronica, and get the FUCK out of Dodge! Of course, she'd never forgive him for that, but at least she'd be alive.

Wallace was still, almost serene. His fear was so all encompassing, it was like he didn't have any at all. That was something he could live with. The fear, the worry, he had for his family was still there. He just did like Xander said and saved it for later, when there was time. Wallace didn't know how much longer he could keep it at bay. But he knew, one way or the other, it'll be over soon. Thank God for that.

Veronica kept running things over in her head. Her fantastic mind was processing facts at a feverish rate. Fact: Her mother is a vampire. Fact: Vampires are evil. Fact: Angel and Spike are vampires. Fact: They are NOT evil. She understood that the two of them were operating under some pretty extenuating circumstances. But, if it could work for them, why not her mother. Angel was inside right now, trying to kill her. She needed to act quickly. Veronica got out of the car and ran inside.

"What the hell is she doing?" Logan demanded of the heavens. "Veronica!" he called out, getting out of his vehicle. Wallace was heading to the door, Logan followed.

But before they could get inside, a well dressed vampire burst through the entrance and scared the crap out of them.

The demon stared at the two scared teens and smirked.

-

Now.

Angel ducked under a swift right hook, then leapt out of the way of a spinning left kick.

"You've gotten soft. In happier days, you would've had me by now," his opponent mocked. "I miss them."

The champion snarled, then vamped out. "You're in luck," he said before viciously backhanding his foe.

She looked up from the floor and smiled a wicked smile. "There's my daddy."

-

Then.

Xander glanced around the pillar he was hiding behind. "You don't think they've run out of bullets, do you?" he asked Gunn during a lull in gunfire.

He gave the other man a glare from behind his cover. "Why don't you stick your head out and ask them?"

Bullets began whizzing by, and Xander sighed. "I wish we had some grenades."

"Would you even know what to do with them?"

Xander rolled his eye. "Pull pin, throw at enemy. Not rocket science."

"You got any more balloons? They were sorta like grenades," Gunn asked, flinching away from the edge of the wall he was hiding behind.

"It's not the same," Xander lamented as he took his purloined AK and fired blindly, giving cover to Gunn so he could get out from behind that corner.

The lawyer stopped behind another pillar and fired his own ganked assault weapon so Xander could escape the rapidly diminishing cover his own pillar provided.

Xander pulled out a couple of balloons, tossed one to Gunn, pantomimed pulling a pin with his teeth on his, and hummed it at the vampires. They scattered, and Gunn took the opportunity to throw one as well, hitting a couple of the demons straight on.

The humans rushed out from behind their cover and fired indiscriminately at the vampires. For most of them, it wasn't all that damaging. But taking a few dozen bullets in the span of a second would knock even the mightiest vamps for a loop.

Gunn smacked the first vampire he came across in the face with his spent rifle, then staked it with a crossbow bolt. Xander tossed his empty AK with casual ease as he rolled on the floor to grab another. He stood up from his tumble with a fresh weapon and pointed it at the now nervous vampire before him. Xander grinned stupidly. This was just like 'The Matrix'! He was so channeling Neo.

The vampire's gun was suddenly in his face.

"You got nothing to smile about," the henchman pointed out.

Xander pulled the trigger and perforated his enemy, but not before the vamp was able to squeeze a couple of shots off.

It was a fair trade off, Xander thought as he fell. He gave the demon a few bullets, the demon gave a couple back. Willow wasn't going to be happy.

Spike came out from behind the building and staked the vampire as it was leaning into Logan's neck, causing the kid to fall backwards at the sudden change in balance. Wallace was already on the ground, his nose bleeding freely. Spike grabbed Logan by the arm and yanked him to his feet.

"Get your pal up," Spike said wearily. "He's gonna want to be awake for this."

Logan complied, taking out the smelling salts he still had from before.

Wallace woke up with a start. "Woah there cowboy," Logan said, placing a hand on Wallace's shoulder. "Easy. Spike's back." He helped the other boy to his feet.

"Your mum's coming," Spike said. "As is old man Mars, and the little nipper. But you're not..." he trailed off, trying to find the words. "It's like this..." But before he could go on, Illyria and Keith, carrying Darrel and Alicia respectively, walked out from behind the building as well.

The teens ran up to them. "Mom!" Wallace cried, seeing her limp form.

Keith stared at them dazedly. "Wallace? Logan? What are you two doing here?"

"Where's Veronica?" Logan asked frantically. "Did you see her? She ran inside!"

Keith looked at Logan. "I didn't see her. Is she okay?"

Wallace shook his mother, trying to wake her up. "Mom?" He shook her more. "MOM!" She wasn't moving.

Keith gazed sadly at Alicia as Spike pulled the increasingly despondent Wallace away and restrained him. "She fell asleep," he whispered.

Gunn beheaded the last vampire. Together, he and Xander managed to take out seven vampires armed with automatic assault rifles, despite the fact it took almost an entire clip of ammo to really incapacitate a single one. If it weren't for those damned guns, Gunn wouldn't have even needed the other man's help!

He knelt down to check on his unconscious ally. Shit. He took one on the right shoulder and one in the chest. The shoulder wound wasn't so serious, but the other one was bad. Real bad. Gunn dressed the injuries as well as best could, then carried Xander out from the battlefield.

Inside the compound, Veronica ran away from the sounds of violence. She needed to find her mother, make her see reason. If Leanne wanted her so badly, she couldn't be all evil, right? Vampires couldn't actually have maternal feelings, could they? Especially if they were supposed to be soulless monsters. Her mother must be some kind of special case. Just like Angel and Spike.

Veronica took a deep breath and presented herself to the first vampire she saw.

"Take me to your leader."


	22. Chapter 22

Angel ducked under the fist that flew towards his head.

"You're getting sloppy," he chastised.

His opponent shrugged. "Well it has been a while since my last fight." A puzzled look formed on her face. "Wasn't it with you?" She nodded to herself. "Yes, I do believe it was." The woman pinned Angel with her eyes. "I've killed a slayer you know. She was pretty. Not the one that mattered, but still." Angel tried to look away but couldn't. Wouldn't. She began swaying. So did Angel. "Pretty Slayer died just like this."

She began humming. Quietly at first, but her voice was rising every second until it exploded in giddy, maddened, laughter and Drusilla clapped excitedly.

"I'm in you. You're in me. Just like old times isn't it, Daddy?"

-

"Drive the fucking car," Gunn yelled, getting into Logan's face. "Now!"

"No." Logan stared back, afraid. Afraid for Veronica and afraid for himself. He wasn't going to leave until he knew she was safe. Which meant the angry demon hunter was going to beat the crap out of him.

For a moment, it looked like Gunn might do just that. Instead he shoved the kid aside. "Then stay here," he sneered, getting into the driver's seat.

"You're stealing my car?" Logan asked numbly.

The lawyer didn't answer. He just put the car in gear and drove off.

"Hold on man," Gunn whispered glancing at Xander through the rearview mirror. "Willow's gonna have my ass if you die."

The teen watched as his Range Rover whipped around a corner.

"Figures. I come to LA and a black guy takes my ride," he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Wallace was still struggling against Spike.

"No! Let me go! Mom!"

Spike grabbed Wallace's broken arm and squeezed it. That got the kid's attention. Spike whirled him around and grabbed him by the collar.

"Listen, you little idiot. There's nothing you can do for her, understand? It's your baby brother that needs you now!"

Illyria walked up to Wallace and held Darrel out. "You will take your sibling. I am returning to the warehouse."

"Now's not the time for that ultra-violence, luv," Spike pointed out. "We still need to get the civvies out of here." The former God-King scowled and looked Spike directly in the eyes.

"I return, not to fulfill my baser desires vampire, but for the child's soul. I promised Wallace Fennel no harm would come to his brother." And with that, Illyria relinquished Darrel to said brother and stalked back into the warehouse.

Wallace hugged the silent infant tightly and asked Keith what happened to their mother.

He set her down and stared at her.

"When Alicia saw Darrel, she became hysterical," Keith began. "I was worried that the... that our captors would come in and make her quiet." Keith Mars' eyes were hollow and distant. In them, the trauma of the past few days was laid bare for all to see. "I didn't want that to happen, so I tried to do it myself. It would've been better. Better than what... I wouldn't have hurt her. But she struggled so hard. She wouldn't stop. She bit at me, clawed at me, and yelled so loudly. I had to make her be quiet," Keith said softly. "She needed to be quiet."

Wallace openly wept as he stared at his best friend's father.

"Oh hell!" Spike exclaimed. "You killed her didn't you? When you tried getting her quiet, you tried too hard!"

"Is that true?" Wallace demanded of Keith. "Did you kill my mother?"

-

"What's the matter sweetie?" Lianne asked her daughter. "Is the dress too small or something?" The vampire chuckled affectionately, considering Veronica. "I swear your boobs have gotten bigger."

The pair of them had retired from Lianne's office and moved onto her personal quarters where Lianne insisted Veronica try on some outfits bought just for this occasion.

Veronica looked into the mirror, Lianne noticeably absent. She forced a smile. "Do you think so?

"Oh yes, honey! I'm sure I bought these using your measurements from when I left you and your father."

The younger blonde's face clouded at the memory. "Yeah, well. I was only fifteen at the time, remember?"

Lianne stroked Veronica's cheek with her cool dead hand. "I do. And I'm sorry."

She tried to hold it back. She really tried. Lianne was dead. This thing was not her mother! But she acted like her. Right now she looked like her. And she was staring at Veronica with her mother's loving brown eyes.

Deep down, hidden behind the hardened detective that brought murderers to justice, there was a little girl who just wanted her mommy.

A sob escaped from her lips and she leaned into that cold hand, warming it.

-

"Now. What to do with you, bad Daddy?" Drusilla wondered aloud. "You took my families away from me." Angel said nothing. He just stared straight ahead, his eyes half closed and unfocused. "First my sisters, then my first daddy, and then my mummy." She struck her sire across the face. "Then you hurt me." Drusilla smiled, tenderly stroking... something. "Shall I return the favor?" Her eyes danced mischievously. "Well. Perhaps later."

The mad seer stepped back from the still champion, face changing to reveal the demon hidden behind her pale beauty.

"But that wasn't the last of your sins, was it Angel?" She sneered. "Oh no. You had to ruin my new family as well!" Drusilla began pacing. "I was happy once. I had you and Grandmummy. And then I had you and Grandmummy and Spike." She smiled nostalgically. "My little Willy." Her vampiric features darkened. "But you went away! Left us alone!" Drusilla slapped him again. "It all fell apart after that!" She began to cry. "Grandmummy was lost without you. And so she went back to her master."

The demon wiped away her tears. "But it was a little bit of alright without you older ones to hold us back. We managed to land on our feet, Spike and me." She stared off into the distance. Seeing. Remembering. "Then you came back and made everything wrong." Her bottom lip began to tremble. "It was such fun, having you, but my Spike couldn't share. So he went to _her_!" Drusilla grew more distraught. "It was then the mean Slayer infected him. Made him think of her. Obsess with her. She ran through his head. Not like a mouse from a cat, but rather an arrow slicing the air, striking my Spike with her poison."

She hugged herself. "I lost him. I was alone," she wailed before smiling again. "Until Grandmummy came back. She was my little baby. My daughter. But you burned us! You hurt us and she went away again! She left me! I'm so lonely... "

Drusilla began staring off again. "But I won't be anymore. The little blond girl. She'll be my friend. Her and her mummy. They'll take me in, and we'll be a family. If I can't have the family I was born to, then I'll just make do with the family I've made."

She whimpered, touching her ears. "I don't hear the songs tonight. It's a bad omen, that." Her attentions snapped back to Angel. "It means something wicked is coming."

Drusilla's yellow eyes danced with anticipation.

"I can't wait."

-

Illyria strode through the warehouse unopposed. Most of the vampires had been taken out in the earlier conflict. The few remaining had no desire to confront the terrifying demon lady.

As the vampires cowered at her passing, the former God-King smiled. This was the way it should be! Her enemies made as frightened children, huddling together in fear!

She stopped to grab one of the vampires, demanding the location of Darrel's soul. The demon didn't know the answer to that, and so Illyria made an example of the creature by tearing it's head off. The next vampire she questioned was more than willing to cooperate.

"The soul? Heck! That thing's just down the hall and to the right!"

Illyria showed her appreciation by staking the vampire, giving it a relatively painless death, before continuing on her way.

The former God-King with a soul hesitated when she arrived at the door, sensing something was amiss inside. She closed her eyes and focused her concentration on divining the situation.

Angel was in danger, her fantastic senses informed her of that. They felt the presence of a strong mental influence at work, clouding her friend's mind and making him weak.

Unacceptable.

The half-breed was under her protection and no harm will come to him. Illyria reared back and kicked the door in.

After a brief pause to see if anything happened, she entered the room. The first thing Illyria noticed was Angel standing stalk still. She halted her advance.

"You will reveal yourself," Illyria demanded imperiously.

"Of course my sweet," Drusilla replied coyly, coming out from the shadows. Her face alight with madness and anticipation. "I wouldn't dream of hiding from you."

"Release Angel from your thrall."

Drusilla frowned in confusion at the order. "No. I don't think I shall." The vampire put her hands on her hips and gave her sire a scolding look. "He's been an inattentive daddy and needs to be punished." Drusilla's gaze turned sly as she focused her attentions on Illyria. "Are you here for the soul too? I'll not tell you where it is. It's my nice light." She closed her eyes and smiled. "Ooh, I can hear him crying for his mother. Can you?"

Illyria's face clouded in empathy. "Yes."

Drusilla's eyes opened again. There was a sadistic gleam to them. "What pretty noise."

The God King walked up to Drusilla and grabbed her aggressively. "Where is it?"

"You're not playing right," Drusilla said, her confusion mounting. She shook her head, focusing her thoughts for the moment. "Anyway. You'll not find it. Not in a million, billion years."

With a speed unexpected, Illyria ripped a pouch off of Drusilla's dress and held Darrel's soul up for inspection.

"You cheated," the seer said, outraged. "You're behaving very oddly for someone of your station. Weren't you supposed to be evil? You seem very evil."

Illyria considered the vampire before her. "Killing you will release Angel from your influence," she concluded.

Drusilla chuckled nervously, her outrage forgotten. "Yes, well. There are other ways of doing that." She snapped her fingers, freeing Angel. "See? No need to kill me, yeah?"

Angel fell down, disoriented. Illyria turned to him for a second, giving Drusilla her opportunity to escape through a window.

Illyria made to give chase, but stopped when she remembered her precious cargo. It wouldn't do to risk the child's soul just to satisfy her retaliatory urges.

"Illyria?" Angel questioned. "What's going on?" He looked around the room as he stood up. "Drusilla?"

"The female half-breed?" Angel nodded. "She fled, proving herself no better than the muck and mire her kind evolved from."

"Y'know, I am of her kind," Angel pointed out.

Yes," Illyria said curtly. "You are a fool to have fallen for her inconsiderable mental manipulations.

"Gee, thanks."

-

Drusilla landed on the ground with a nasty thump. She lay there for a moment, quivering.

It wasn't right, she thought to herself with a sob. The mean blue should've been her friend. Drusilla _saw_ her as a friend. This was very vexing! She stood up and wiped her eyes. It would do no good to fret over it. Clearly the mean blue was tricking some how, and that's why her sight can't see right.

With an assertive nod, the 200 plus vampire walked off into the distance. Revenge already swimming through her mercurial and maddened mind.

She got ten feet before noticing a sullen young man pacing up and down the street corner. She observed him discretely. There was considerable anger in him. What rage! Drusilla's breath was taken away. Figuratively of course. She sauntered up, seeing him. He's in love with the little blond girl. How sweet. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could be happy together? Forever? This one was devoted, his loyalty most fierce. He wouldn't leave the little blonde girl like Spike left her. What a most special gift for her new family!

Drusilla clasped her hands behind her back and smiled sweetly.

"Hullo pet," she greeted, getting the teen's attention. "And what's got you in such a tizzy?"

Logan Echolls stared at the dark beauty dumbly. "Who the hell are you?"

Her smile grew wider. "The best thing ever."

-

Veronica observed the vampire who remembered being her mother. It was subtle, but she could see it. The differences. When she was alive, Lianne Mars had this fluidity only the drink could hide. That was gone. In it's stead was something that could only be described as predatory. And the eyes. They looked normal now, but Veronica could see the coldness in them. The inhumanity. This creature wasn't her mother anymore. And despite her moment of weakness, she know that.

It looked at Veronica with a happy smile. "I think we should get a kitten!"

Okay Vampire Mom, that was a none sequitur. "Why?"

Lianne giggled at Veronica's confusion. "For kitten poker of course."

"That's not what I think it is, is it," Veronica asked, aghast.

The demon laughed again. "It is, but don't worry. I was teasing. No. I think a kitten will help you adjust. Some companionship when I'm not around. And if you get hungry, you could always eat it."

"By "eat it", you mean you'll be chopping it up into General Gau's and serving it with broccoli and rice, right?"

Judging by the amused expression on Lianne's face, that wasn't very likely.

-

"Did you kill her?" Wallace demanded again. "Answer me!"

Keith's empty expression seemingly melted and the older man broke down, sobbing.

"I'm sorry Wallace," he heaved. "I tried to get her quiet, but she just. Wouldn't. Stop."

Spike sighed dramatically before noticing a familiar scent. "Oh bollocks," he whispered, taking off. Neither of his companions noticed.

Wallace swallowed. "So you did kill her."

"Alicia kept shouting. They came in and told her to stop yelling, but she was hysterical." Keith shook his head. "I tried to calm her down Wallace, I did, but she wouldn't. They... It was those... God, I couldn't get her to stop yelling so they... They killed her." Keith fell to his knees and looked down at the dead body of Alicia Fennel. "I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly.

Wallace shook his head. "No. My mom had it together. There's no way she would've freaked out like you said."

The detective stood up, wiped his face and took a deep, collecting, breath, burying the pain and horror of the past days beneath a professional exterior.

"Under normal circumstances I'd agree with you Wallace," he said, only a little shakily. "But this isn't normal." He looked the teen in the eyes. "The kidnappers. They aren't human. I know how crazy that sounds, but it's true. And your mother saw them. That, coupled with the stress of the kidnapping and Darrel's non-responsive state, caused her erratic behavior."

Wallace was breathing heavily. "So you didn't..."

"I did everything I could to stop them. But they were too strong. I'm sorry."

He hugged his brother to his chest. Having seen what he's seen, Wallace couldn't help but believe him. He nodded.

"Wallace," Keith said after a few moments. "Where's Veronica?"

-

Angel halted intersection, sniffing the air. He shook his head and rubbed his face tiredly.

"Damn kids. They never do what they're told."

"To whom are you referring," Illyria questioned.

"Veronica. She's in here somewhere." He sniffed again and pointed left, down the hall and away from the direction they were heading. "That way."

Illyria nodded and resumed her course. "Assist her Angel. I will return once Darrell Fennel is made whole again."

The vampire watched Illyria go for a moment. Slightly awed over the influence having a soul has had on the Old One and how much she's changed since her resurrection because of it.

Then the moment was over and Angel followed the young woman's scent down the hall.

-

Veronica felt the panic rise as Lianne's face changed from the familiar to the terrifying.

"Mom please. Don't do this," she pleaded futilely. "I don't wanna be a vampire."

Without warning, Veronica was pinned to the wall by the shoulders. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she couldn't move.

Lianne smiled, hunger and anticipation clear in her horrid yellow eyes. "I'm sorry honey, but you don't have a choice." WIth that said, she yanked her daughter's head aside and sank her teeth into her neck, drinking deep of the sweetest blood she's ever tasted.

A second later, Angel burst through the door.

Lianne didn't notice.

Angel's mouth began to water involuntarily at the stench of blood and panic. He crossed the room in two strides, plunging a stake deep into the dead woman's heart.

Her last thought was of anger at being denied the rest of so fine a meal.

Veronica slumped down to the floor.

Lianne didn't have enough time to drain her dry. If he could get her to the hospital in time she'll be okay.

He picked her up and carried her out.

-

Drusilla pulled away from Logan, blood trickling from her lips. She stared at him in shock. He stared back in fear.

"My family," she whispered letting go of him. "Oh no."

Logan fell back against the wall. He put a hand to his neck and watched as the vampire began to throw a fit.

She stomped her foot, knocked over a freaking dumpster, kicked a cat, and pulled at her hair. All the while ranting and raving and crying her creepy little eyes out.

It was tough to make out what she was saying. There was something about a blonde girl. Veronica? Maybe. She also went on about her father? And some kind of blue person... What?

His vision blurred. Logan had just enough time to realize he was passing out.

The boy's decent to the sidewalk went unnoticed as Drusilla's frenzy raged on.

Spike's approach, however, did not.

She stopped her rampage and stared at her former lover in awe.

"Spike," she whispered. "Is it you?"

"Yeah Dru. It's me." Spike pulled out a cigaret and lit it. He eyed the now unconscious Logan. "What's that all about? Shouldn't you be making your dramatic getaway? Taking the time to feed on some punk kid wasn't exactly the smart thing to do." His sire may be crazy, but she wasn't stupid.

They began circling each other, eyes locked.

Even now. Even with a soul and everything that went between them, Spike could feel the old spark. That old desire building within him. He knew she felt it too. That's what made this all the sadder.

Once, he belonged to her. And she, him.

His black queen smiled beautifully.

"The boy was to be a present."

"For the bird? The detective girl?"

Drusilla nodded, her expression growing sorrowful. "But that's not going to happen now." She glared at Spike. "It's all your fault! You and Angel!"

With a roar, the vampire leapt forwards. Her razor sharp nails slicing at Spike's face.

He punched her away and felt where she clawed him. There was blood!

Spike snarled and his vampiric features emerged.

Without hesitation he attacked.

She dodged out of the way, throwing a kick at his ribs. Spike barely managed to deflect it. He leveled her with a vicious backhand. She used the momentum to spin around and land a devastating roundhouse.

Before Spike could recover, she was on him. Tearing, pulling, punching. She screamed. Condemning him for leaving her. Blaming him for everything that's gone wrong.

Gradually her attacks lost more and more heat, until finally they stopped altogether.

Drusilla collapsed into a broken heap on the floor, her face reverting back to it's human form.

The distraught woman clutched at her sides and cried.

"Alone, alone, I'm so alone. Nobody loves me. Nobody needs me. My old families are dead and I can't make a new one. They won't let me. They're always there, the Angel Beast and my Spike-with-a-Spark."

He crouched down next to her, his face human again as well.

"William?"

"Yes love?"

"Help me," she begged. "Please help me."

Spike nodded and Drusilla smiled gratefully.

He pulled her close and they kissed with all the passion and lust and love they'd ever had.

Drusilla's eyes widened.

"Thank you," she mouthed as she crumbled to dust.

Spike looked down upon her remains and then to the stake in his hand.

With a great cry of anguish he did he slam it into the pavement. Shattering the weapon and his hand with it.


	23. Chapter 23

Angel came storming out of Lianne's headquarters with an unconscious and bleeding from the neck Veronica.

"Oh god!" Keith shouted when he saw his daughter's condition. "What happened to her?" He took her from Angel's arms and glared at the vampire. "What's going on?  Who are you?"

Angel was about to respond but was distracted when Spike came out of nowhere, holding an unconscious and bleeding from the neck Logan. "You've got to be kidding me," he said in disbelief.  He'd heard of couples getting matching tattoos or necklaces, but matching bite marks?  From different vampires that weren't hunting together?  That's only happened, like, twice!  Well, three times now.

Spike gave Veronica bemused look, thinking the same thing.  Keith's eyes bugged out when he saw Logan, but before he could say anything else, Spike loaded the kid up into Angel's car.

"Going to the hospital," he stated, strapping in the driver's seat. "Anybody fancying a lift should get all their little soldiers on board."

Keith didn't have to be told twice.  The man that rescued him from his cell was now offering to take his little girl to the hospital.

"Thank you," he said brokenly.  The days of imprisonment, the loss of Alicia, and finally, seeing his beautiful baby girl bleeding profusely washed away the forced professional exterior he'd constructed.

Keith got into the passenger side and held his daughter close.

"All right, lads.  Hold your bloody horses!  It's time to run some red lights!" Despite the situation, Spike smirked.  He'd been dying to get behind the wheels of Angel's "baby" for months now.  Finally, here was his chance.

Angel hopped into the back seat to keep an eye on Logan. "Not a scratch on her, Spike," he growled.

In leu of responding, the younger vampire slammed the car into drive, and speed off, leaving half a mile of tire tracks in his wake.

Angel winced.

-

It was a little later.  

Veronica and Logan were at the hospital, Keith and his mother's…  body… went with them, while he and Willow had gone back to the Hotel to fix Darrel.

And Wallace found he just could not keep himself from staring at his brother's blank face.  

The little boy sat unmoving in the middle of the Hyperion lobby, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, recognizable in his baby brown eyes.  They just looked straight ahead, not following or focusing on anything.  The only sign that Darrel was still alive was that he would occasionally blink.

Idly, he wondered why the child was able to sit up when there was no consciousness to keep him that way.

The train of thought disturbing him, Wallace forced his attention away and focused instead on what Willow was doing.  

The witch was in the middle of setting up the spell to help Darrel.  In the jar next her, he could see the brilliant, vibrant, and beautiful swirling and whirling nebula that was the toddler's soul.  

This was so freaky.  He was actually looking at a soul!  And it was his baby brother's!  

Even freakier was that it glowed brighter whenever he got close.  Willow told him that was most likely because Darrel recognized him as his big brother.  She was smiling when she said it.  Like it was sweet.  Like the idea of his brother's soul in a jar wasn't the most horrible thing he'd ever heard.

"Wallace, could you come over here?" Willow asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Your brother isn't doing so well right now, and I think it'll be easier on him if you hold the jar?" She at least recognized that what she was asking him to do was very, very awkward.  With an apologetic grimace, she explained it was to comfort Darrel, but he didn't understand. "The spell will go smoother if Darrel's not scared." Willow was smiling again. "You make him feel safe."

A million reasons why this was a bad idea began to flow through his mind.  What if he dropped it?  What would happen to Darrel then?  Would his soul go to Heaven?  Would it go to Hell?  Darrel had never been Baptized!  What if he was still tainted with Original Sin?  He'd never really believed in any of that stuff, but then he never believed in magic or vampires and shit either.

Willow, as if sensing his thoughts (and maybe she did.  Who knew what witches could do?  You know, besides other witches?), told him not to worry because the jar had an anti-breaking spell on it.  She held it out for him.  The soul glowed brightly.  

The palm of his good hand was sweaty as he took the jar, and all Wallace wanted to do was throw up.

"I get it, Wallace." Willow's expression was one of deep sympathy. "If that was Xander in there, I don't think I would be handling it any better than you.  I don't think I'd be able to handle him being in the hospital again if I didn't have something else to focus on." She smiled ruefully at him. "I don't do well with emotional trauma.  Not when I care about the person as much as you do your brother."  She smiled. "You're really strong.  You should be proud."

Wallace tore his eyes away from his brother's soul and stared at the woman in astonishment. "Are you crazy?"

Willow, who had already gone back to preparing the spell, gave him a confused look.

"I'm a damned coward!" he snarled. "I froze!  When Xander went after that Vampire, I froze!"

"That doesn't mean anything." Wallace opened his mouth, but Willow glared at him, daring the young man to interrupt her.  Needless to say, he did not. "Vampires are predators.  We're their prey.  Human instinct practically screams at us to run from them.  A strong willed person can ignore it, but more often than not it's the idiots who do.  If someone attacks a vampire without any experience or weapons, then that person is going to die.  Plain and simple."

"The others didn't," Wallace pointed out, referring to Xander, Veronica, and Logan. "They lived."

Willow shrugged. "Strength in numbers.  And luck.  Xander's been fighting demons since he was sixteen.  He has more experience, more will, more heart than any other supernatural fighter I've seen.  He won't even leave his house during the day without at least a stake, his silver knife, and some holy water.  But he almost died last night." Willow shuddered at the thought. "If you guys hadn't been there, he would've."

"I didn't do anything, remember?"

"You're right.  Veronica and Logan did.  And do you know what they got for their troubles?  Beaten.  Veronica's face is so mushed, I wouldn't be surprised if she had some scars.  And those things aren't so sexy on girls.  Believe me.   And Logan?  The way Xander tells it, the only reason why the poor kid's still alive is because the vampire recognized who his father was." Willow swallowed back her worry for her friend.  Talking about him so much while he was fighting for his life was almost too much for her. 

"I know for a fact that Xander would've rather died than to have you three help him.  You have no training, no backup, no experience to speak of.  A single vampire against all three of you -even four, or five people just like you- would end up dead faster than any of you could utter the word "no."  Never mind "don't." Though sometimes a vampire might let you say "please." But only 'cuz they think it's funny when we beg."

She reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "The point is, you did the right thing, Wallace.  You listened to your instincts.  Veronica and Logan, like idiots, ignored theirs and almost died because of it." He still wasn't convinced.  Willow sighed.  Poor Giles.  If the Scoobies were as stubborn as Wallace when they were his age... It's no wonder he kept trying to move to England.

Changing tactics, she asked Wallace why he went with them on the rescue mission.  Wallace's nostrils flared and he let out an offended huff.

"My family was kidnapped!  What the hell else was I going to do?"

"And that, sweetie, is why I'm not crazy," she told him with a smile right before she began anointing herself with smelly, magic goop.

-

Keith has never been this bad, emotionally.  Even during what he once considered the worst time of his life, the craziness that was the Kane investigation, did he not feel as horrible as he does now.  

Then, all he had to deal with was his wife leaving him, his ruined reputation, and having to bear the guilt of Veronica's social status being destroyed for being a better daughter than he deserved and standing by him.

But then was nothing compared to now.  Now, oh wondrous now, he gets to watch Veronica receive a transfusion of his blood.  Now is when all sense in his life is turned up side down and left to right.  Now is when he'll be weighed down by the guilt of failing to prevent Alicia's death.  

And Lianne's.

Two women he's loved, dead.  

God, if anything happens to Veronica...

He stared down at his unconscious daughter, the apple of his eye. With a wistful smile, Keith remembered how annoyed she would get whenever he referred to her as such.  She would proclaim, haughtily, that she was no apple,  and if her man-child father must insist on calling her something ridiculous, then it'd better be a princess, or some other form of royalty.  She was eleven when she said that.

Of course he made it a point to call her "The Apple Princess" for the next couple of years.  Keith chuckled.  Oh, how she hated that!

He hasn't called her that since all before Lianne took off.

Keith wiped tears away from his face and gripped his daughter's hand tightly.

-

Gunn sat in the waiting room while the surgeons worked as hard as they could to save Xander's life.  

Six hours into the surgery, he came to a sobering conclusion:  Willow was so going to kill his ass.  

And he would let her.  Smart as she is, she's bound to come to the same conclusion he has.  That it was his fault Xander got shot.  Not directly of course, Gunn knew that the real blame fell squarely on the shoulders of the vampire that pulled the trigger.

Hell, you could even lay some blame on Xander for showboating his way into the line of fire.

Still, Gunn has powers, and as such, was responsible for the normal guy with only one eye.  He's stronger, faster, and tougher than anything short of a Slayer.  Yet he was sitting in a hospital lobby waiting for Xander to have bullets pulled from his body.

It's not enough.  If he was more powerful, then he would've been able to prevent Xander from getting shot.  

His mind flashed back to the image of Alonna as she turned to dust and to the shock and betrayal in her yellow eyes.

He would be better.  He has to be better.

-

Logan was unconscious and alone, save for the occasional nurse.

-

Angel watched from the doorway as Spike and Illyria talked in Fred's old room.  It was subtle, but his experienced eyes could see it.  She was nervous.  And he was willing to bet a week's supply of otter blood that the younger vampire noticed it too.  

You wouldn't think it, the way he was lounging the couch, but Spike was as alert as he'd ever been.  He always, always hid it from others, but Spike was an intelligent, thoughtful being with great a understanding of the world and it's inhabitants.  

Spike knew how Illyria felt and was ready for anything.

"I miss my parents."

Even that, surprisingly enough.

"What do you want to do about it?" he asked. "We could probably call them?"

She should her head. "I don't...  I'm not... ready." 

Spike shrugged. "Fair enough."

Illyria began pacing. "I wish to eat cheeseburgers.  And tacos.  I wish to have a bubble bath.  Or to play with a puppy.  I wish..." She stopped pacing. "I wish Wesley was here."

"Yeah, I can't imagine I'm any good at this."

"I cannot imagine you are good at anything," she spat with venom, becoming frustrated.  Spike tensed, but Illyria resumed her nervous pacing.  "I do not wish to wish these things!  They are foreign, and taste of bitter joys and decadent agonies." Her brown eyes focused on Spike. "How can you contain these thoughts and emotions within your impuissant bodies, you creatures who were once muck and is now little more?" Illyria's voice began rising, her frustration becoming tinged with fear. "I am Illyria, God King of The Primordium!  I was the greatest amongst those you call the Old Ones.  It took all the faculties and armies of my enemies, in a war that lasted millennia, to defeat me!" 

Faster than even Spike could react, never mind Angel, Illyria grasped the blond Champion by the throat and lifted him high above her head.

"How is it a shell that could not contain the fullness of myself is capable of sustaining such onerous emotion?"

Spike, though not needing the air, felt great discomfort as her mighty hand clenched tightly around his neck.  So tightly, that as much as he might want to, he could not answer.

"That's what they were made for, Illyria," Angel said, coming fully into the room. "These bodies were designed to feel emotions.  To live." His expression was one of sympathy. "They weren't designed to contain the powers of a god."

She flung Spike and whirled to fully face Angel. "I ruled all that there was, muck, yet mastery over such a thing as feelings eludes me!" Illyria picked up the couch and held it over her head in a fit of desperate rage.  Then she threw it at him.

Angel just barely managed to get out of the way.  The fact that she missed seemed to enrage her further.

"You said you would help me!   You said you were my friend!  I trusted you!  I believed in you!" With each declaration, Illyria threw another object at the vampire, until, finally, she collapsed.

"You were supposed to protect her from the monsters, Angel," she whispered hatefully. "Not let her become one."

Illyria curled up into a fetal position and wept as Angel looked on, horrified by the truth in her words.

-

Veronica woke up to the very welcome sight of her father, sitting by her bed.  He smiled at her.

"Hey, kiddo, how are you feeling?"

She looked around.  Apparently not that well, considering she was back in the hospital.  Also when she tried to sit up, it felt like somebody put her brain on spin cycle, causing her to swallow back some really nasty bile.  And she was thirsty.

Apparently she said that last part out loud, because Keith handed her a glass of water.  She rasped out a word of thanks before greedily gulping it down.

"Woah, sweetie!  Sip it!  You don't want it to come back up, do you?" He grabbed the glass back and set it down.

"What happened?  Where's mom?"

Keith's eyes flickered to the wound on his daughter's neck.  He'd just been inducted by Spike and Angel into the ranks of those who know what bumps in the night.  They told him what was his wife had become, that she was the one who kidnapped him, that she arranged Alicia's death.  He wished he didn't know.

Keith stroked Veronica's hair. "Don't worry about that right now, honey.  Just concentrate on getting better, okay?" 

Veronica smiled, but that faded when she noticed the IV and realized she was receiving a blood transfusion. "Oh god…"

"Veronica, don't," Keith ordered.

Her eyes welled up.  "I remember.  I remember what happened to mom."

"I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Keith wrapped his arms around her, and together they mourned their loss.

After a bit, Veronica pulled back. "Where's Logan?  And Wallace?"

He sighed. "Wallace is back at Angel's office with Darrel."

"And Logan?"

"He's in a room down the hall," Keith reluctantly admitted.

"What?  Why?"

With another sigh, he told her for the same reasons she was back here.

-

The room was dark because he didn't bother to turn the lights on.  He was in the hospital, and Veronica wasn't with him.  Nothing could force Veronica Mars to keep away from someone or something she cares about.

So either she didn't care about him or something bad happened to her.

Logan held the buzzer in his hand that would summon a nurse who could tell him why she's not sitting by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up with candy and balloons, after rushing into a vampire factory to see her vampire mother.  

The buzzer sat in his hand.  All he had to do was push it.  He wondered if it would be so difficult, hearing the news.  He's had so much practice at it after all.  Lily, his mother… if Veronica was dead, couldn't he just deal with it?

No…  There was no way he could deal with losing her.  When Lily died, he changed into… what did Veronica call it?  Oh right.  He changed into Neptune High's very own obligatory psychotic jackass.  

And when his mother killed herself, the only thing that held him together was Veronica.  It was, honestly, the reason he fell in love with her.  She was there for him when he had no right or reason to expect it.  She held him for what seemed like hours the day he finally excepted his mother's death.  God knows what he would've done if she wasn't there.

So what would he do without her?

A shadow of a voice whispered an answer from the back of his mind. "You would become your father's son," it whispered, insidiously.

Logan shut his eyes and, trembling with fear and worry, pushed the button.

There was a knock on his door.  

His eyes snapped open.  That was quick. "Cuh…" he cleared his throat. "Come in."

The door opened and a man in a very nice business suit entered. "Hello.  My name is Jacob Donaldson.  I represent Wolfram and Hart." He glanced around. "May I turn on the lights?"

-

The spell flared brightly as Willow chanted.  Her voice grew deeper, the light became brighter, so bright, that Wallace shielded his eyes, and a rushing noise of wind thundered throughout the lobby.

The jar in his hands grew warm.  

Willow's chants became louder, even deeper.  More… emphatic?  It was hard to describe.  

She chanted faster, and faster.  The spell began to throb and ebb with the rhythm of her words.

Willow's eyes were black, her voice almost demonic. 

The noise, the light, the rhythm, all of it grew exponentially, rising, higher, louder, brighter, until….

Silence.

"Waah!  Ahh!  Wahh *hic* Waah!"

And Wallace collapsed with relief, the jar falling to the ground.

He collected himself and hugged his brother.  The toddler clutched him tightly, hollering loudly.

-

Gunn looked up as one of the surgeons walked out into the waiting room.  It seemed as though the woman was moving in slow motion.

The door closed behind her.

She ran a hand through her hair tiredly.

Using her forearm, she wiped sweat from her brow.

Then she was looking around for him.

Then she spotted him.

Then she was walking towards him.

Then she was wiping her hands on her thighs.

Then she took a step.

And another…

And another…

And another…

And another…

And another…

And another…

She swallowed.  Gunn watched as her throat bobbed up, then down.

Suddenly, without warning, the woman was standing directly in front of him.

Gunn wondered when that happened.

They stared at each other for what he believed was forever.

She smiled and the hardened warrior collapsed back into his seat.  When did he stand up?

"The surgery went fine," said the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. "There were no complications.  We'll know for certain tomorrow, but I expect him to make a full recovery." Her smile widened as Gunn stared happily at her, completely at a loss for words.  She laughed.  This was why she became a surgeon.

-

Angel sat in his darkened office, brooding hard.  

"It wasn't your fault," Spike said from the door. "Believe me, if I thought for a second it was, I'd kill you."

The older vampire didn't take the bait.

Before Spike could say anything further, Willow shoved him aside, running into the room and turning on the lights.

"It worked, Angel!  I did it!  The spell worked and Darrel's gonna be fine!  And Gunn called and he said Xander was gonna be fine too!"

She danced a happy little jig.

Angel gave, in his opinion, a heroically awesome effort at a smile.

"Great," he said without much enthusiasm. "That's…  Real good news." Obviously he meant it.  The fact that Darrell and Xander were going to be all right was, in fact, fantastic news, but what Illyria said to him was just too much.

Willow stopped dancing and narrowed her eyes.

Spike smirked at how still the Master Vampire became.  Not to mention how worried.

She leaned over the desk until she was face to face with him. "I was going to wait a little while, but since you're being a big grump, I think we should be going now."

"And where exactly would we be going?" Spike asked, grinning.

Willow straightened out and turned to him, a big grin on her own face.

"You'll see."

-

_"If you're happy and you know it,_

_And you really wanna show it,_

_If you're happy and you know it,_

_Clap your hands!"_

And so they did.  The children that he, Spike, and Gunn rescued were all gathered together in the children's ward of the hospital.

For that matter, so were he, Spike and Gunn.  Gunn was at least attempting to rein in his laughter.  The Spike, however, was showing no such restraint.  Willow was there also and considered it her civic duty to record such a moment for posterity, and Xander, and was gleefully doing so.

Angel, the one who was so mean and scary, was now dressed up in a clown costume!  And he brought balloons too!

Yay!

He had on a big blue shirt, some baggy, baggy yellow overalls, and super floppy red shoes!  A big, sad frowny-face was painted on his face, with tears coming from his eyes and everything!  

Angel wasn't a big scary man!  He was so silly and not scary at all!

Ha, ha!  Angel the Clown sings really bad.  Lookit!  He dropped all the balls he was trying to juggle!  And lookit!  He turned around to whine to Ms. Willow!  He looks like he's gonna cry for real!  Ha, ha!

But Ms. Willow looked at him like she was a teacher and then Angel turned back around and did a dance!

And Spike fell down, he was laughing so hard!  Ha, ha!  Spike's funny too!

Spike, for his part, was grateful that his soul didn't have a happiness clause, because the sight of Angel dressed like a great big idiot, and dancing about like the biggest prat in the bloody world, would have lost him it ten minutes ago.

Gunn was beginning to think that this was actually a bit undignified.  Thank god Willow didn't make HIM do this.  (Although, secretly, he wouldn't mind an excuse to dress like a clown)

Willow saw all the smiling, happy children, and knew this was a great idea.

-

It took some time, but Veronica was finally able to convince her dad to let her go see Logan.

She felt a little shaky on her feet, but, with the help of the IV, was able to make her way down the hall.  Her dad was just to the side of her, ready to steady her if she wavered a bit.  

Finally, the injured young woman made it to her destination.  She knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard from the other side.

And when she opened the door, she was rewarded with the sight of he boyfriend sitting up and alert.

All the color drained from his face.

"Veronica…" he whispered, almost reverently.  

Keith casually commented that he'd just wait out in the hall.

Veronica closed the door behind her, and Logan noticed they had matching bandages. A grin broke out on his face. "Figures you'd try to copy me.  I know it's cute when couples dress alike, but this is taking it a bit far, dear."

The blonde rolled her eyes, getting into bed next to him. "Please.  Everybody knows that vampires are in this year.  I'm sure everybody's going to be sporting the bandaged neck look."

Logan wrapped his arms around her. "Does this mean you're a trendsetter?"

She snuggled up to his chest. "Haven't I always been?"

He smirked. "I _have_ noticed an increase in cute, sassy, blonde detectives lately."

Veronica returned the smirk. "Best.  Trend.  Ever, huh?"

He hugged her tighter. "Yeah, but I've the original and the best right here."

"You really know how to woo a girl, don't you?"

"It's a gift.  And a curse."

-

Up next:  The Epilogue!


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